The Missing Gentleman
by GoldGriffin
Summary: Two years have passed since the fateful adventure of The Unwound Future, and for two years, London's criminals have kept quiet. But now the professor is nowhere to be found, and Luke finds he must call upon the help of an old adversary if he ever hopes to find his beloved teacher again. Spoilers in the reviews, beware! :)
1. The Meeting

_Chapter One: A Meeting_

Luke's steps were nervous as he walked across the cold floor of the prison. He could see the guards staring at him, as if wondering what a fourteen year old was doing in a place like this. In a prison for some of London's most diabolical criminals.

Luke looked up at the inspector, who eyed him suspiciously. "I'm Luke Triton. I…I'd like to visit cell number 49."

The guard looked down at Luke, a hint of concern on his face. "What business have you with him?"

"That's none of your concern," replied Luke. "I've had…dealings with him before."

"Ah…that's who you are. I thought you looked familiar. The professor's former apprentice. This isn't a place for children." He scratched his head, as if thinking it over. "But…well, I've always been a fan of Layton's work…I'll make an exception for his assistant. But make it quick. I'll send a guard to accompany you."

Luke shook his head. "I'd prefer to go alone."

The inspector's eyebrows furrowed in concern. "Triton, the boy's a criminal mastermind. Pulled off one of the biggest crimes in all of London, and he almost got away with it. I don't know how safe it is for you to-"

"I can handle him. He's not an idiot; he'd know better than to cross the professor's apprentice." Luke sighed. "Well, former apprentice."

The inspector hesitated, then nodded. "Down the corridor, first door to the right. If he's locked in the cell he shouldn't pose a threat."

Luke smiled. "Thank you, inspector." He hurried for the corridor.

"But, Luke-be careful."

Luke nodded. "I will."

He made his way to the cell quickly. He paused for a moment outside the door, hesitant to reveal his presence. Would he even be able to get help? Or had this trip to the prison been in vain?

"I know you're there, Luke."

Luke stiffened. No mistaking it was him. Years later, he still remembered his voice. He peered in closer to the cell. From inside its dark depths, behind the filthy bars, he could faintly make out the silhouette of a ragged young man, who bore an almost uncanny resemblance to Luke himself.

"Clive Dove. It's been a long time."

From inside the cell came a long, cold laugh. "Two years. Two years since that scheme. That perfectly planned scheme. It fooled Dimitri. It fooled Bill Hawks. It fooled hundreds of people." He sighed. "If only it could have fooled Layton."

"Nothing fools the professor."

Clive laughed again. "That's all too true. How is the dear professor nowadays, anyway?"

"I…I haven't seen him very much. I had to leave. But he writes to me."

Clive turned to face the wall. "He wrote me a letter once. Told me about Claire. Almost made me feel sorry for him. Even though it's thanks to him I'm in here." He sighed. "It sounded like he really loved her. Do you know if he still misses her? Years later?"

"I've written to him about it. He never tells me. But…I doubt he's forgotten about her. I doubt he ever will."

Clive smiled. "I suppose I sympathize a bit with the professor." His smile faded. "That explosion…my parents…what I wouldn't give to turn it all around."

"I think that whole adventure made one thing painfully clear, Clive. You can't turn back time. No matter how hard you try."

Clive nodded. "I know that, all too well. But enough sentimental chat. You don't bother visiting me for two years, then suddenly you show up out of the blue. You must have a good reason for it."

Luke nodded. He turned to face his friend. His former nemesis.

"Clive," he said, "I need your help."

Clive scoffed, a sarcastic look on his face. "The professor's esteemed apprentice? Asking a lowly adversary for help? It must be a very serious problem."

"It is," Luke spoke with concern. "Clive…the professor's been kidnapped."


	2. An Ally and an Escape

_Chapter 2: An Ally and an Escape_

Clive's face turned grave. "Kidnapped?"

Luke hesitated, then nodded. "Well…for a long time after I left, we sent letters to each other. He talked about various classes he was teaching at Gressenheller University, and about different puzzles and whatnot, but he never mentioned anything unusual. Then, one day, a couple of weeks back, in one of his letters he mentioned that he was thinking of going to the countryside for a few weeks, to 'get away from someone'. He never mentioned who it was, so I wrote back and asked him about it. But…he never wrote back to me."

Clive shrugged. "He could have just been busy. There's no proof there that he's been kidnapped."

Luke sighed. "Well, I convinced my parents to let me sail to London to see him, and he wasn't home. The door was flung wide open, and the whole room was a mess. Papers covered the floors, tables were overturned, and the curtains were ripped. And then I…saw the ransom letter."

"Did you notify the police?"

"No…the ransom letter said not to call the police or they'd…"

Clive sighed. "Seems the professor really is in trouble, then. But I'm sure his apprentice can handle it. As much as I'd love to help, he _did_ throw me in prison. As a matter of fact, you did, too. And while I appreciate the company, I don't really like helping my enemies."

"Clive, you won't be in prison forever."

"Oh, really?" Clive spoke coldly. "I have rather a long sentence, you know."

"How many years?"

"Life imprisonment."

For a moment, neither of them said a word. Luke opened his mouth to speak, but then stopped. "Clive…I didn't know that your sentence was…I'm sorry, I-"

"Sorry doesn't change anything. I'm still trapped here. _For the rest of my life_. I'm not going to help you. Not after what you've put me through. Thanks for the company, Luke. Now go."

"Clive, please-"

"_Go_."

Luke sighed, and turned to leave. He was halfway down the hall when he stopped. "Clive, if I could…reduce your sentence…_then_ would you help me?"

"I'm listening."

"If we could rescue the professor, he could pull some strings. He's one of London's most influential figures, after all. I bet he could reduce your sentence…or get rid of it completely."

"There's no guarantee that Layton would go along with that."

"I'll _make _him go along with it. Please, Clive…I need somebody's help."

"Do you give me your word?"

"I swear it."

There was a pause. "Fine. I'll help. But there's not much I can do, being locked up in a cell like this."

Luke looked down at his feet. "Well…I was thinking about that, too...and I figured…perhaps, if you were to temporarily escape…"

Clive's lips curled into a faint smile. "Since when do gentleman help criminals break of prison? Seems there's a new side to you, Luke."

Luke frowned. "New side? I'm just the same apprentice as always. But I'm willing to do whatever it takes to bring Layton back."

Clive nodded. "Layton's a lucky fellow to have you as his apprentice. But all heroics aside, how exactly do you plan to get me out of here?"

Luke paused, warily glancing to either side of him. There were no guards in sight. From underneath his blue cap, he pulled out a small smoke bomb and a blowtorch.

Clive grinned. "I must admit, Luke, you're a bit of a genius."

Luke smiled. "An apprentice who can't find a way out of a prison isn't worth his salt. Someone like that isn't worthy of being the great Professor Layton's assistant. Fortunately, in the past few years I've learned quite a few useful knacks."

Carefully, Luke turned the torch on. It blazed a hot blue.

"You might want to stand back," he cautioned Clive. Clive nodded, quickly walking to the back of his cell. Luke pointed the blow torch at the bars, and, slowly, they began to weaken. Luke felt his hands shaking. If any guards came by right now, he could be thrown in a cell of his own.

The seconds passed at a painfully slow pace. Finally, the bars gave way. Slowly, Clive stepped into the light. Luke gasped. The two years he had spent in prison had taken their toll on Clive. He looked weak, as though he could barely stand. His face was gaunt, and there were deep circles under his eyes. His hair was ragged, and his hands were chained.

Clive looked annoyed. "Well stop staring, Luke. Did you expect me to look the same after two years? I'd like to see you stay dapper after all that time in a cell. Now come on, we need to find a way out."

Luke nodded. "Well, we can't just walk out the front door; there's a lot of guards that way."

Clive thought for a minute. "Perhaps there's a ventilation system we could crawl out of…or a different exit…"

Luke froze. "Clive," he whispered, "Get back to your cell."

In the cell opposite Clive's, a man was yawning, as if just waking up. He peered out into the corridor.

"What's a kid doin' 'ere? Who are-" He stopped, looking at Clive's cell. He could see Clive in the cell, but the bars…they were broken…

The man chuckled. "Heh, heh. I see what's going on 'ere. You tryin' to escape, is that right? Perhaps I ought to turn you in…" he grinned. "But…if you set me free, too…then I won't rat on you. Deal?"

Luke turned to Clive. "To the left," he whispered. Quickly reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a match. Flicking it along the side of the wall, he touched the flame to the end of the bomb. The flame moved along the string quickly. Any second now, the bomb would explode.

The man's eyes widened, realizing what Luke was doing. "Why you little-" The bomb exploded in a cloud of dense smoke that quickly filled the corridor. Luke made for the left passage, quickly followed by Clive.

"PLEASE!" The man cried out. "LET ME COME WITH YOU!" Luke ignored him.

"GUARDS! A PRISONER HAS ESCAPED!"

Luke kept running. He couldn't see a way out anywhere. The possibility of capture entered his mind. He shook his head. That couldn't happen. It wouldn't.

But soon, the sound of boots in pursuit could be heard, and with every minute, the sound grew louder. Turning to the right, Luke realized he had somehow reached the front way out again. He could see guards around him, coming closer…he and Clive were surrounded.

"Put your hands up!" A guard cried out. Luke raised his hands. Would they realize he had helped Clive escape?

Clive raised his shackled hands in surrender. But then, he quickly lowered his hands, so the shackles were right at Luke's neck, threatening to choke him.

"Let us pass! Or else..." Clive tightened his hold on Luke. Luke could feel the chains at his neck, choking at him. Any tighter, and he was sure to pass out. Or worse.

"Well? What'll your choice be?" the guards hesitated, not sure what to do. Luke felt his strength waning. He looked pleadingly at the guards.

"Are you going to stand there and let him kill the boy? Put down your weapons and let them pass."

The guards lowered their weapons, making a path for Clive. "Also…give me the keys to these chains."

The inspector opened his desk. Picking up a ring of keys, he took one off the rack and handed it to Clive.

Clive grinned. "Thank you, inspector."

The inspector looked up at Clive in hate. "You monster."

Clive laughed, then, slowly, backed out the door, still holding the chains at Luke's neck. He closed it behind him with a loud thud.

The two of them turned the corner, into a nearby alleyway. Making sure no one was in sight, Clive released his hold on Luke. Luke crumpled to the ground, coughing.

"You're welcome." Clive took the keys and fit them into the lock on his chains. He heard a click, and the chains fell to the ground.

"You think I should be THANKING you? You nearly killed me!" Luke rubbed at his throat, his voice hoarse.

Clive shrugged. "What easier way to get out? We would've been caught otherwise. Thanks to my quick-thinking, I'm free to help you find your beloved professor."

"You nearly _killed_ me."

"Well I didn't, did I?" Clive glared at Luke. Then he looked away. "You know I wouldn't really have hurt you. It was the only way to get out."

Luke sighed, leaning against the wall. "Well…where do we even begin?"

Clive smiled. "For starters…I'd like to take a look at the ransom letter."


	3. A Trio Begins to Investigate

_Chapter 3: A Trio Begins to Investigate_

Getting across London with a wanted convict in the dead of night would have proved to be a challenge. Getting across London with a wanted convict in the middle of the day proved nearly impossible. Trolleys and cars filled the streets, and the sea of people threatened to swallow the remaining sidewalks. Clive, dressed in his ragged prison jumpsuit, stuck out like a sore thumb.

"Well, Luke, what's the plan? What's the next part of your genius scheme? You did think ahead…didn't you?" Clive raised an eyebrow at Luke.

Luke looked down at the ground, his face red. "Well…I didn't exactly think through this part…"

Clive sighed. "Well, I might as well go back to prison now, seeing as we're out of a plan and we're bound to get caught soon. Wonder what they'll do to me? Perhaps hanging." His voice had a hint of sarcasm in it, but he was only half joking.

Luke sat down, pausing to think. "Well, I got you out of prison on the condition that you help me. Now would be the perfect time for you to make good on that promise."

Clive sat down next to Luke with a weary sigh. "Well…I suppose we've got a few options. We could try what we did back in prison, with you in a headlock-"

"No chance." Luke put his hand to his neck, flinching as his fingers felt the bruises Clive had inflicted. "We try walking across London like that, you'll end up killing me. If we don't get caught first."

Clive shrugged. "Sewer system?"

"You're joking. We have no maps with which to navigate. We'd get lost in there."

"Disguises?"

Luke thought for a moment. "Perhaps…but…where would we get disguises?"

"Well, we-"

His voice was interrupted by a loud honk. The headlights of a yellow automobile blazed down on them, illuminating their panic-stricken faces.

The headlights turned off, and Luke heard a car door open. He tried to run down the alleyway, away from their impending capture, but he was frozen where he stood.

A slender figure emerged, dressed in a yellow trench coat, a white button-up blouse, and a pale pink bow-tie. Her white pants were held up by a brown belt, and she wore gray-black boots. Her wavy brunette hair fell down to her elbows. She smiled at look in amusement.

"After you told me about your hair-brained scheme, I had no idea you'd actually go through with it. Of course, I was wrong to doubt you…such an apprentice as yourself would never cower away from an opportunity to help someone, especially if that someone was Professor Layton. But I knew you couldn't possibly get through with your plan all by yourself-so I decided to lend you a hand."

"But…how did you know we were hiding here?"

Emmy shrugged. "Instinct. I went to the prison you were at to see what had happened. When I heard you two had escaped, I suspected you hadn't gone far. So I took a look around in the nearby alleyways. And here you are!"

Clive raised an eyebrow. "Luke, who is this?"

Luke cleared his throat. "She's an old acquaintance and friend of mine, Emmy Altava. We used to both be assistants to Hershel. She…left, after a while. However, once I found out about the Professor's predicament, I contacted her at once. I knew she would be a great help in finding Layton." Emmy nodded and smiled at Clive. Luke continued. "Emmy, I already spoke to you about Clive. While he may have been a criminal who kidnapped Flora and nearly killed thousands of people, he's also one of the cleverest people I've ever met. And he regrets what he did…don't you, Clive?"

Clive nodded. "Undoubtedly."

Emmy turned to Luke. "I think we ought to get moving. Make sure the street is clear of policemen, alright Luke?"

Luke nodded, walking away quickly. Emmy waited until he was out of sight, and then turned to Clive. The smile on her face was gone, replaced by a look of disgust.

Clive, noticing her change in expression, began to back away. But Emmy was quick, landing a punch to his chest and grabbing him in a headlock. Wheezing, he gasped for breath.

"A pleasure to meet you as well, Emmy."

Emmy let go of Clive. He crumpled against a wall. She leaned down, her eyes meeting his.

"It's _Emmeline_, not Emmy. Emmy is what my friends call me. I don't consider backstabbing liars like yourself to be my friends. Now listen, Clive, Luke may have forgiven you, but I for one have no reason to trust you. Personally, I think you should stay in your cell and rot. But Luke's instincts are good, and if he believes your help is needed, perhaps it is. But if you make one move against Luke, then trust me, going back to prison will be the least of your worries. Understand?"

Clive nodded. "Understood…Emmeline." Shakily, he stood up, just as Luke returned. Luke looked between Clive's pale face and Emmy's furrowed brow and sighed.

"Are you two going to be able to get along?"

Emmy smiled, the warmth in her eyes slowly returning as the scowl faded. "Why, of course. Aren't we, Clive?"

Clive didn't return the smile. "Indeed. I'm sure _Emmeline _and I will become great friends."

Luke breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. Now, let's get going. The sooner we take a look at the ransom letter, the better."

Emmy walked up to the driver's side of the car and got in, slamming the door shut behind her. Behind her, Luke and Clive crouched below the windows, out of sight of any passersby.

"Let's hope nobody spots us," mumbled Luke. They drove quickly, speeding along the busy streets of London. Neither Clive, Luke, or Emmy said a word. It was as if they were all holding their breath.

Finally, after what felt like ages, the car screeched to a halt outside Professor Layton's home.

"I don't see anyone," whispered Emmy. Quickly, Clive and Luke ran to the house. Reaching into the pocket of his trousers, Luke revealed a shiny brass key. Fitting it into the lock, he heard a click. The door inched open with a soft creak.

Inside, it was just as Luke had described it. There were papers all over the place, chairs were turned over, and the curtains looked torn and battered.

"The professor must have put up a fight, judging by the mess of this place," mused Clive. "Where is the letter?"

Luke pointed to the nearby table. The letter had been neatly typed on a sheet of plain white paper. Clive peered in closer. Carefully picking up the paper, he read the note out loud.

"Professor Hershel Layton has been kidnapped. If you wish for his return, gather two million pounds and leave the money outside of the Jocuri Casino on the eighteenth of October. If the money is not delivered by then, Mr. Layton will be sold to another interested party. We are keeping a close watch on you. If the police are contacted, Layton will be killed immediately. If you value his life, you will not disappoint us."

Emmy sighed. "That doesn't give us much to work with."

Luke sighed, too. "The eighteenth of October is only a couple weeks away, and none of us have two million pounds to spare. That doesn't give us much time."

"When did you first find the note?"

"A week or so ago. The room looked exactly the same as it does now."

"Who do you think the culprit is, Luke?" Emmy asked.

Luke shrugged his shoulders. "The professor had quite a few enemies. Don Paolo…Jean Descole…Anthony Herzen…Dimitri Allen…Leon Bronev…and of course you, Clive."

Clive sighed. "And here I am, an enemy, helping you to find him. But there's a lack of clues here. Not much for us to lead on."

They heard a shuffling behind them, as Emmy rifled through some papers. "A lack of clues, eh? Well, here's one that could prove useful." She handed a small scrap of paper over to Luke. It was a handwritten note, and the sloppy handwriting suggested the writer had been in a hurry.

"It is well-known that the Professor likes puzzles. I do, too. If you aren't keen on parting with two million pounds, there may be another way to save him. To do this, I can only give you a hint: the apple wine is scrumptious, the hunter plays games with its prey, and the sun needs golden light. The best of luck." Luke finished reading the note and put it down on the table, thinking. For a moment, there was silence.

"Well, it's obviously figurative. The apple wine is probably a metaphor for something. Or for someone. Apple wine…apples…the golden apple. That's…the title given to Flora." He turned to Clive and Emmy. "I think we ought to pay a visit to Miss Reinhold."


	4. Visits and Bargains

_Chapter 4: Visits and Bargains_

Emmy thought for a moment. "You're right, Luke. Perhaps we ought to pay a visit to Flora."

Clive nodded. "You two ought to do that. But I can't possibly go with you dressed in a prison jumpsuit. I'll stay here and see if I can't glean any clues from the professor's papers."

"Hold on." Emmy's eyes narrowed. "We can't just leave Clive here by himself. He's a wanted criminal. Who's to say he won't escape?"

Clive rolled his eyes. "Emmeline, you must think I'm daft. I so much as step outside and a policeman will see me and have me captured again. I don't much care to go back to jail."

"Emmy, I think we ought to trust him. Besides, it would be difficult to take him with us to see Flora. And Clive…well, you did kidnap her once. I doubt she'd be keen on seeing you."

Clive laughed. "Yes, I remember that. I doubt she'll forgive me for that just yet. I'll stay here." He turned to Emmy. "And I'm not going to leave."

Emmy sighed. "Very well. You'd only slow us down anyway. Come on, Luke. Let's go."

Luke and Emmy walked out, closing and locking the door behind them. Clive looked down at the mass of piles on Layton's desk.

He grinned. "I suppose I should get to work."

* * *

Emmy jammed the key into the ignition, hearing the motor roar to life.

"Who _is _Flora, anyway? I've heard you mention her quite a few times, but I've never actually met her."

Luke smiled, feeling a bit nostalgic at the thought of Flora. "She was the center of a puzzling mystery the professor and I encountered many years ago. You must have read about it in the paper. The whole town she had grown up in was made up almost entirely of robots. It must have been quite a shock to her." He sighed. "But Flora as a person was much more than that. She was…kind, and funny, and she truly seemed to love the professor…almost as if he was her father. She came with us on many of our adventures."

"It doesn't seem like she's much of a suspect, then."

"Well, I don't know." Luke shrugged. "I don't know what else they could mean by mentioning apples. I mean, I thought at first perhaps they meant they drugged him using apple wine, but the professor doesn't drink. And besides, there were signs of a struggle, and that wouldn't have occurred if he had simply been drugged."

"Well, I suppose it's a place to start. But where does Flora live?"

"On the west side of town, on Brooks Row. Flora decided she wanted to live more independently. Layton gave Flora enough money to rent a room at the Princeton Villa. She works there as a maid now."

They drove on until they reached _Princeton Villa_. It was a quaint building, two floors high and made of wood, with cheery yellow curtains at the windows.

Luke and Emmy walked slowly down the stone walkway leading inside. Stepping through the doorway, they heard a little bell tinkle. A short lady wearing a crooked pointy hat, a blouse, and a skirt stepped in. Luke couldn't quite put his finger on it, but she seemed very familiar…

"Welcome to Princeton Villa! Would you two like a room for the nigh-" She stopped, squinting at Luke, as if she recognized him. Then a big grin spread across her face.

"Why, it's Luke Triton! The professor's apprentice! I remember you!"

Luke smiled back at her, finally recognizing her. "Granny Riddleton! Oh, it's been ages! It's so good to see you!"

Granny Riddleton shook her head, still smiling. "It's Elizabeth now. My puzzling days are behind me. But I'm sure I can think of some puzzle or other if you're in need of one."

Luke shook his head. "Actually, we're here to speak to Flora. She does work here, right?"

Elizabeth nodded. "You'll find her upstairs, cleaning the guest rooms, no doubt. She's a good worker, that girl. Now, if you two need anything, just give a shout, won't you?"

Emmy nodded, smiling warmly at Elizabeth. "We will. Thank you." The two of them walked up the wooden stairs, Elizabeth beaming after them.

"Well, it was nice to see an old friend. I was wondering when she'd turn up again," mused Luke. "Now to find Flora…"

They walked down the hall, peering into each of the guest rooms. Finally, at the end of the hall, they spotted a girl in a maid's uniform.

"Flora, is that you?" Luke called out. The girl turned around. Her big black eyes widened at the sight of Luke. Her cheeks filled with a rosy glow, as she ran over to him, enveloping him in a hug.

"Luke! Oh, it's so good to see you! I've missed you and the professor!"

Luke hugged her back tightly, smiling. "I've missed you too, Flora. How have you been?"

"Oh, I've been doing splendidly. Elizabeth is ever so nice to me. And the work isn't too hard." She pulled away from Luke, peering around the room. "But where is the professor?"

Luke turned to Emmy, as if wondering whether he should tell Flora about Layton's disappearance. Emmy nodded. Luke turned back to Flora, a serious look on his face.

"Flora, can you promise to keep a secret? One that you can't tell to anyone?"

Flora nodded.

"The professor has disappeared. Someone…kidnapped him."

The rosy color in Flora's cheeks vanished, replaced with a look of dread. "Oh, no! It's all my fault!"

"What do you mean?" Emmy's voice was soft.

"Well…a while back, he asked me if I would mind going to the country with him. I said I couldn't, because of work, but that perhaps we could go in another couple weeks. I didn't bother to ask him why he wanted us to go away, but he kept stressing that it was very important. I tried calling him back a couple of weeks ago, but he never picked up the phone. I had assumed he had just been busy at the time, but…" Flora sniffled. "Oh, what if something dreadful has happened to him? If I had only listened to him, then-" She stopped, choking on a sob.

Luke wrapped his fingers around her hand, squeezing it reassuringly. "It's all right. We're sure to find him. Why, Emmy, Clive and I have already started an investigation-"

Flora stiffened, prompting Luke to stop talking. Flora looked down at the ground. "Why is…_Clive _helping you?"

Luke flinched, realizing Clive's name had slipped out. "It's a long story. But I know we can trust him. He's back at Layton's home gathering clues as we speak."

"Whatever you say, Luke. But please…" she looked up, her eyes wet with tears. "Please find the professor and bring him back safely."

Luke nodded. "I promise we will, Flora. And I'm sorry to have mentioned all of this to you."

"No. Thank you for letting me know."

Luke and Emmy walked out of the room, down the stairs, and out the door. The bell tinkled again on their way out.

Once they were outside, Emmy spoke again. "Well, we learned that Layton was planning on having Flora leave with him. He wanted her to be out of danger. I doubt he'd have done that if he thought she was in on the plan to kidnap him."

"She didn't kidnap him. I was stupid to think she could be in on it. She couldn't hurt him if her life depended on it." Luke sighed. "Well…what should we do now?"

"Let's see if Clive has found any other clues," suggested Emmy. Luke nodded in agreement. They walked back to the car and slammed the doors, driving back in silence.

* * *

Clive ran a hand through his tousled hair, sighing loudly. He had found no clues. No solid evidence. Most of Layton's papers had to do with archeology and puzzles, but none of them were useful to their investigation. He banged his head down on the table in frustration. If Layton wasn't found, then he'd have to live his life in the shadows. Or go back to jail. He'd never be able to walk somewhere without being labeled as a criminal. They had to find the professor…or else he'd never gain his freedom.

"Why do you bother helping those fools?"

Clive stiffened. He turned around, but saw no one there.

"Well…helping them is my only chance of freedom. I don't really have much of a choice."

"Not much of a choice? Well, then I'll offer you a choice. We can give you money. Enough to bribe the prison to set you free."

"You can't bail a murderer out of prison."

"Ah, but you're not a murderer, Clive. You merely _attempted_ murder. And that whole sob story of doing it because of your parents' death could persuade them to forgive you. Besides…money can convince anyone of practically anything. You know you want your freedom."

"Layton has authority. He's helped the police on countless occasions. If he orders my release, they're sure to grant it."

"And you honestly believe Luke will keep his word and make Layton set you free? Money has more power than empty promises, Clive."

"But what's the catch? What would you want in return?"

"It's simple. If Mr. Triton and Ms. Altava get too close to rescuing Layton, you…dispose of them."

"Why not just kill them yourself?"

"We don't like to kill people unless we have to. We tracked them during their visit to Miss Reinhold's home. If they were killed, people would find out. They might remember Triton was Layton's apprentice. Might prompt an investigation, and we don't want that. We only want to kill them if they're becoming too much of a nuisance. And if you're the one who does it, then, on the slim chance that you get caught, they won't go investigating any other possible murderers. Keeps us safe, see?"

"And what if I decided to tell Emmeline and Luke about your little offer?"

"Then I'll kill you instead. No one would bother investigating that. No one will lament the death of a criminal."

Clive shivered. "Your word against Luke's? You're no more trustworthy than him. Why should I trust you?"

"If you accept our little offer, we'll pay you up front. If you back down after that, then we'll kill you. You get paid in full beforehand. Not like some empty promise. And if you refuse...well, we're hoping you'll accept."

"I…I'll think it over."

"Very well. Until next time, Mr. Dove."

The voice stopped, leaving Clive sitting alone at the desk, his mind struggling to make a decision.


	5. A Clue to the Kidnappers' Identity

_Chapter 5: A Clue to the Kidnappers' Indentity  
_

Clive was growing restless. He couldn't sit still any longer. He stood up, pushing the chair back with a loud screech. He was impatient for Emmy and Luke to come back so the three of them could continue the search, but at the same time, he didn't know what he ought to say to them. Would he tell them about the offer that had been made to him? No, then he'd be killed. Would he stay loyal to Luke and Emmy? Or would he accept the money instead?

Suddenly, Clive heard a rustle coming from the study. It sounded as if someone was trying to exit through the window. He hurried over, quickly opening the door. The window was wide open, the white curtains blowing freely in the evening breeze. On the ground below the curtain, a small note was written.

_Clive Dove, if you accept our offer, then meet us in Greenshire Park tomorrow night. Telling Luke and Emmeline will result in your death. We look forward to meeting with you. _

"And what if I don't show up? Will they still kill me?" He gripped the paper tightly in his hand, only just noticing that his fingers were shaking.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a key being turned in the lock. Hastily, Clive stuffed the note into a nearby satchel and slammed the window shut. He hurried back over to the desk, sitting down again, peering over Layton's papers once more.

Luke and Emmy hurried in. Judging by the looks on their faces, they had found no new evidence.

"Any clues, Clive?"

Emmy thought she could see Clive hesitate, but only for a second. "No, nothing new. I suppose Flora didn't have anything to tell you."

"No, except that the professor was going to have her accompany him to the countryside. That pretty much rules her out as a suspect."

Luke thought he could see Clive smile faintly. "I doubt Flora could hurt anyone…especially Layton."

"Well, now what?" Emmy sighed. "We don't have much to go on."

"Perhaps an investigation into the Jocuri Casino?"

"The kidnappers would have to be stupid to give us a clue as easy as that...but then again, they did give us hints before. Emmy, would you be willing to go investigate that?"

"Why of course, Luke. But…what about you and Clive?"

"Clive has been helping us without complaint, but I think it's time he got a change of clothes." Luke peered over at Clive's ratty prison jumpsuit and wrinkled his nose.

"As much as I'm dying to get out of these filthy rags, I doubt you'd be able to find me a replacement, considering you have no money and no idea which clothes would fit me."

Luke shook his head. "Well of course I can't _buy _you anything…but I'm sure the professor has something or other you could wear."

Luke walked into the professor's study. Turning the brass knob on a wardrobe, he swung the door open to reveal a row of coats. Luke grabbed the smallest one, a grey cardigan sweater, and closed the door. Below the wardrobe were a couple drawers. Luke reached in and grabbed a pair of brown trousers and a stiffly ironed white shirt. He also spotted a small mask tucked away under a layer of socks. He took the mask, too, and thrust the clothes at Clive.

"Take a shower and then get changed. We're going to take a visit to the library."

* * *

Emmy walked up to the front of the Jocuri Casino, ready to begin investigating. A beefy man in a black suit greeted her at the door. "Welcome to the Jocuri Casino, ma'am."

"Thank you. Could you tell me a little bit about it?"

"Why, certainly."

"Why is it called Jocuri?"

"Well, the boss is Romanian. I'm pretty sure Jocuri is Romanian for games, and there _are_ an awful lot of games to play here."

"I see. Is there anything…unusual about the casino?"

"Not that I can tell. It's a very fancy one, though. Rumor has it the Queen of England once played a round of poker in here, along with the Prime Minister. It's been around for seventy years now."

Emmy nodded, thanking the door greeter and heading inside.

Huge, crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and the vast room was bathed in golden light. Women in glittering gowns and men in black tuxedos filled the room, drinking champagne and gambling. Dice were rolled, cards were shuffled, balls spun around in roulettes. Dressed in her yellow trench coat, Emmy suddenly felt very out of place.

"Care to join us?" A woman in a scarlet dress beckoned Emmy over to a poker game. Emmy shook her head, politely declining. Now was not the time for a round of poker.

She searched the casino from top to bottom, but there was nothing unusual to be found. Finally, she gave up and decided to head back. If there were any clues to be gleaned from this casino, she had not found them.

* * *

Meanwhile, Luke and Clive made their way into the nearby library. They were stopped at the door by an orange-haired woman who glared at them in suspicion from under her enormous glasses.

"Why are you wearing a mask, young man?"

Clive began to speak, but was quickly interrupted by Luke. "He has a terrible scar…from an accident. He prefers to cover it up."

"It's quite embarrassing," Clive admitted. The librarian raised an eyebrow.

"Well, in any case, can I help you find what you're looking for?"

"Yes," said Luke. "Do you have a collection of newspapers?"

"Why, yes of course." The librarian led them to a shelf at the back of the library. The shelf was completely covered in old newspapers.

"Are you looking for a particular issue?"

"No, thank you. We're just…browsing."

The librarian nodded and walked away. Clive turned to Luke.

"So…what exactly are we looking for?"

"People who have 'hunter' or 'sun' in their name who would have a reason to kidnap Layton. I know that's a very general request, but I think that the ransom letter was referring to people when it said 'hunter and sun'. Maybe it was referring to the kidnappers."

Clive shrugged, skimming through a newspaper and then tossing it on a nearby table. He picked up a second one. Then a third. Then a forth. On the fifth he stopped, suddenly grinning.

"Have you found a clue, Clive?"

Clive turned the paper towards Luke. On the front was an angry man, one that Luke quickly recognized. "No, but certainly something worth seeing. You didn't tell me Bill Hawks resigned as prime minister."

"He didn't. He was removed. The professor told the press about the time machine incident, and about how it was mainly Bill's fault that Claire…that Claire died. The Queen herself ordered his removal."

"Well, that's marvelous. Simply marvelous. He was a real scoundrel. But anyways, back to the investigation. Any luck?"

"I found a Raphael Hunter, but he lives in France. Much too far away to kidnap the professor."

"How many newspapers are here?"

"I'd say a couple hundred."

"I suppose we'll be here a while, then."

"I suppose so."

They continued the search without speaking. The only sound that could be heard was the rustling of papers and frustrated sighs as paper after paper showed no new evidence.

"Raphael Hunter? Lives far away. Veronica Sun? She's five years old. Melanie Sun? She was murdered. Hunter Brasch? He's in a psychiatric ward. No clues. No hints. Nothing!" Clive sighed in exasperation. "Enough of this wild goose chase. Let's head back, Luke."

Luke nodded, turning to Clive. "You're absolutely right. I was taking it too literally. Originally I thought it could be a metaphor...I think that might be the answer. And what better place to find the root of a metaphor then in fiction?"

"I suppose. But…a hunter…the sun…what could they-" Clive snapped his fingers. He raced down the aisle, stopping at the mythology section. He pulled out a book of Greek Myths and flipped through it eagerly. He stopped on an illustrated page. There was a beautiful woman, dressed in white and wielding a bow. Beside her was a fair-skinned man with blond hair, and behind him was a rising sun.

"This is a picture of the gods Artemis and Apollo. They are brother and sister, the children of Leto. Artemis is the goddess of the hunt, Apollo is the god of the sun."

"The hunter plays games with its prey, and the sun needs golden light…so the kidnappers are brother and sister?"

Clive nodded. "That's what I'd suspect. And I believe we can decode it further. The hunter plays games with its prey…the sister is the one who likes puzzles. She's probably the one who left the additional note for us. The sun needs golden light…golden light could mean gold…the brother needs the money. So I'd guess the brother is the one who is the mastermind behind it, and the sister is merely helping him because he's her brother."

"Clive…you're a genius. Let's get back quickly. I'm sure Emmy will want to hear of this."


	6. A Letter and a Decision

_Chapter 6: A Letter and a Decision  
_

"Clive, you really _are_ daft." Emmy rolled her eyes. "You can't possibly know for certain that the kidnappers are brother and sister. There's no proof."

"Well, what else could it mean?"

"Maybe the whole clue is just a distraction. Maybe it's a clue as to something else. Maybe 'hunter' or 'sun' is part of someone's name. But this is just too easy."

"Emmy…maybe you're overestimating the kidnappers."

"Maybe you're _underestimating_ them. And it's Emmeline, remember?"

Luke sighed. "You two really ought to try and get along. How can we possibly find the professor with you two constantly bickering?"

"You honestly expect me to _believe _what he's saying? To go along with these crazy ideas?! You blindly believe everything he says! Luke, he's betrayed you before! He could do it again! For all you know, he's working with the kidnappers!"

There was a moment of silence. Then, Clive spoke.

"I've finally figured it out. Why you seem to hate me so much. It's not about me. It's about you. You're trying to distract yourself from what you've done. You're trying to think you're more loyal, more trustworthy than you actually are. You're trying to remind me of my mistakes so you can forget yours. I know." He paused, then continued. "In the letter the professor sent me, when I was in prison, he mentioned you. He told me about what you threatened to do to Luke." Clive slammed his fist down on the table in anger. "YOU BETRAYED HIM TOO! Whether you like it or not, you have to face it. You're no better than me."

He headed towards the door, opening it with a loud creak. A gust of chilly night air blew in.

"I'm going for a walk," he murmured. He slammed the door shut behind him.

He had walked a quarter of a mile before he felt tears on his face. He raised an eyebrow in puzzlement. He never cried unless he had good reason to. He hadn't cried since that day…that day, all those years ago…the day of the explosion…

Clive stopped trying to contain it. He felt the huge, racking sobs engulf him. All the pent-up frustration at his inability to save his parents. All the madness of his failed attempt at revenge. All the fear and isolation he had endured during those two long years in prison. All the regret he felt with each passing day. He let it out with each sob, with each tear that fell on the cold pavement beneath his feet.

It was so unlike him. And yet it felt so wonderful.

Finally, he stopped crying. He stood up, quickly drying his eyes. He regained his composure in an instant, peering around for any sign of the police. In his anger, he had been careless enough to forget to wear a mask before he left Layton's house. Luckily, no one had spotted him.

Clive scolded himself. "A true gentleman mustn't make a scene in public." He sighed. "Then again…I'm no gentleman."

He walked wearily to the nearby post office. A man with a bushy white beard frowned at him from behind the desk.

"I swear I've seen your face somewhere. Have you been in the paper recently?"

"Of course not. I don't have time for questions; I'm here to mail a letter. Do you have a pen and paper?"

The man reached behind the desk and pulled out a pad of notebook paper and a pencil. "Help yourself."

Hastily, Clive scribbled a note onto the paper. "Envelope?"

The man handed Clive a yellowed envelope. Clive thrust the paper inside and wrote an address on the front.

"Stamp?"

The man also handed him a stamp. "You're going to have to pay for that."

Reaching into the pocket of his trousers, Clive was surprised to find a few coins. The professor must have left them there. He tossed them at the man behind the desk. He smiled, picking them up and putting them in a desk drawer.

"Can this letter be sent somewhere in London by tomorrow?" Clive's voice had a sense of urgency about it.

"If you send it now? Well, since we're in London already it shouldn't take long to mail it; it should arrive by tomorrow evening."

"Good. Thank you."

He dropped the letter in a nearby mailbox. "Please," he murmured, "Please reach the right person." With that, he began to walk back to Layton's house.

He had made up his mind about the kidnappers' offer. He only hoped things would go according to plan.


	7. Forgiveness

_Chapter 7: Forgiveness_

It had been ages since Clive had slept on a real bed. One with a soft mattress and a feather pillow. He relished that sleep…for he knew what was to come the next day.

He awoke to find Luke curled up on a spare mattress on the floor. Emmy was nowhere to be seen.

He yawned, stretched, and stood up. He moved the curtain aside and peered out the window. The sun was already up, but the sky remained grey, the clouds refusing to move.

"It's probably late morning," he mused. He bent down, gently shaking Luke.

"Luke. Get up." Luke groaned, but slowly managed to sit up, rubbing his eyes sleepily. Clive walked into the kitchen, where he found Emmy was preparing eggs for breakfast.

Clive thought he could sense her stiffen as he entered the room. It seemed she was still tense around him…after what had happened last night.

Clive sighed. "Emmeline, I-" Emmy didn't look up. She whisked the eggs faster, turning away from Clive.

"Emmeline…I'm sorry about last night. I just…I tend to keep my thoughts to myself. So when I do try to show emotion…I have a tendency to lash out. I apologize."

Emmy stopped whisking. "There was some truth in what you said about me. I…I just try so hard to forget my mistakes that sometimes I tend to remind other people of theirs." She turned around, a cold look in her eyes. "But that doesn't mean I've forgiven you yet. Understand?"

There was a disappointed look in Clive's eyes, as he realized that Emmy was still far from forgiving him. But at least it was a start. He nodded. "Understood."

There was an awkward silence, broken only by the sound of eggs frying. "I…I suppose I'll go see if Luke's up yet…" Clive walked back over to Layton's study, closing the door behind him with a loud sigh of relief. The tension in there had been thick enough to cut with a knife.

Luke was wide awake and dressed. He stood up.

"Did you talk to Emmy?"

"Yes. She didn't seem to be very keen on talking, though." Clive sighed. "She still hates me."

"While that may be true…there's a part of her that admires you as well."

"What?"

"When you went out for a walk last night…I thought…maybe it would help relieve the tension if she talked a bit about how she felt about you. Though most of it was insults on her part…she also admitted she was impressed. Impressed that you would help free the very man who was responsible for you being sentenced to life imprisonment. Not many would do that."

Clive sighed again. "She doesn't seem to understand. She seems to think I don't regret what I did. That couldn't be farther from the truth." He paused, a weary look in his eyes. "Not a day goes by that I don't feel ashamed of what I've done."

Luke patted him on the shoulder, a cheery smile on his face. "It isn't the time to dwell on past mistakes; now is the time to move on, and to do the best we can to help rescue the professor. All right?"

Clive smiled weakly back at Luke. Luke's optimistic spirit was rather infectious. "You're right, Luke. Now come on. Let's go eat breakfast."

Emmy had already set the table. Clive eyed the warm eggs hungrily. It had been ages since he had had a real meal.

Within minutes, Clive had wolfed down his food. He turned to see both Emmy and Luke with surprised looks on their faces. Then Luke laughed. "Seems you were hungry, Clive."

Clive shrugged. "The sooner we eat, the sooner we can get back to the investigation. Though I must admit, Emmeline, those eggs were divine."

Emmy tried to keep a straight face, but she smiled in spite of herself. "Thanks."

Clive patiently waited for Emmy and Luke to finish eating. When the last bit of eggs had been eaten, Luke spoke. "Well…we sort of left off last night…when we found out about the new evidence Clive had uncovered."

"More like a theory than real evidence…" murmured Emmy. "But…I suppose it's a start. Who does that remove?"

"Well…after that adventure of the Azran Legacy…we all know Descole doesn't have a sister." Emmy nodded. Clive raised an eyebrow in confusion, but shrugged. "If you say so. I guess it isn't Descole, then."

"Well…Flora has no brother. So that eliminates her as a possibility. Even though she wasn't really a possibility to begin with."

"Also…I don't have a sister. So, believe it or not, I'm _not _in with the kidnappers." He glared at Emmy.

Emmy rolled her eyes. "Oh, yes, that's _definite _proof."

Luke sighed. He could see where this was headed. "Just work together for once. Now then…what about Anton Herzen…hmmm…well, he's very old; if he had a sister, she's most likely dead."

"Don Paolo…I don't know if he has a sister or not. I don't know about Dimitri Allen, either. Or Leon Bronev."

"Well…at least we narrowed it down a little. But…what should we do today?"

Emmy and Luke both shrugged. "I don't really know what we ought to investigate right now."

They all sighed, clearly not sure what to do. Then, Luke snapped his fingers.

"Perhaps Flora has something else she could tell us about. Something that could help with the investigation."

Clive winced. "I think I'll stay here. I doubt she'd want to see me, anyway."

"You two need to talk. Otherwise she'll never forgive you."

"I just…I don't think I can handle knowing that she hates me."

"Clive…you know Flora. She'll forgive you."

Clive glanced over at Emmy, then looked away quickly. "Not everyone is as forgiving as you, Luke."

"Please…it's worth a try." Luke's voice was pleading.

Clive sighed. "Fine. But if things go awry…it's your fault."

Luke smiled. "Come on, then. Let's get going."

The three of them jumped into Emmy's car. Clive and Luke crouched below the seats, just in case anyone peered inside. They didn't want to get caught by the police. Emmy quickly made the drive to where Flora lived. They parked the car outside of the _Princeton Villa_, hurrying in. Granny Riddleton greeted them at the door with a cheery smile.

"Hello, you two. And hello, young man! How would you three like a cup of tea-"

"Actually, we're here to see Flora. Is she here right now?"

Granny Riddleton shrugged. "She went for a walk in the park. You'll find her just around the corner."

"Thank you." The three of them hurried off.

The park was filled with beautiful fir trees. Their green needles glimmered in the autumn sunlight. The clouds from earlier had disappeared, leaving the sky a bright blue hue.

They spotted Flora sitting on a bench. Her back was to them, but her pink dress and light brown hair were unmistakable.

Clive gritted his teeth. "Luke, I don't know if this is a good idea."

"Trust me."

"No, Luke. I can't talk to her…I just don't think I can handle it. She'll never-"

"Enough excuses. Just talk to her!" Luke pushed Clive towards Flora. He and Emmy ducked behind a nearby tree, observing from a distance.

Flora, hearing someone stumble towards her, turned around. When she saw who it was, her eyes widened. For an instant, she looked happy to see him. But then her eyes turned sad, and she looked down at the ground.

"Hello…Flora." She didn't say a word, but continued to stare intently at the ground.

"Flora…I'm so sorry. For everything I did. For what I put you through. I…I was so mad with grief…so focused on revenge…that I was oblivious to all the pain I was causing others. But that's no excuse. I'm so sorry."

Flora paused, then spoke, her voice showing a hint of sorrow. "I was so lonely, growing up in St. Mystere. I knew the people of the village cared for me, but I had no friends. And then I found out…I found out almost everyone was…a robot. None of them were real. It was all a lie. It broke my heart, knowing all those people I had grown to love, all those people who I thought cared for me, were just machines." She began to sniffle. "And then…I met Luke and the professor. And I met you. The three of you managed to repair me. And it was wonderful, having friends. Having people who weren't just machines, who cared for me, who went on adventures with me, who laughed with me, and…and then, when you grabbed my arm and ran off towards the tower, I knew…it was another lie." She looked up, her eyes filled to the brim with tears. "And I lost one of my only friends."

Clive wrapped his arms around her, embracing her in a hug. He sat down next to her on the bench. "Don't be silly. Of course we can still be friends." He sighed. "That is…if you can accept my apology."

Flora looked uncertain. Clive looked into her eyes, a look of desperation on his face. "Please."

Flora smiled weakly. "I…I suppose."

Clive smiled in relief. "Thank you, Flora."

Flora blushed. "It's a habit of mine. I can't seem to stay angry at anyone for very long."

"And I thank you for it."

Flora was blushing harder now. "Well…while it may be a habit…it's especially hard to stay mad at a person as likeable as you." This startled Clive. People didn't generally refer to him as 'likeable'. Flora leaned in closer…

Out from behind the bushes popped Luke and Emmy. Luke had a wide grin on his face. "I'm glad you two managed to make amends. Now, Flora, we have some more questions to ask you about, to help us find the professor."

Flora seemed startled to see them, but then nodded. She scooted away from Clive, moving over to Luke and Emmy. She was blushing harder than ever now, but she didn't say a word.

Clive, on the other hand, was still smiling. He was just glad that Flora wasn't upset with him. He only hoped it would stay that way.


	8. Betrayal?

_Chapter 8: Betrayal?_

"Now, Flora…you're _sure_ the professor didn't mention anyone in particular when he spoke of going away?"

"No names. I didn't even know someone was after him."

"What were his exact words to you?"

Luke and Emmy continued drilling Flora with questions while Clive sat nearby in the grass. He watched as a flurry of dandelion seeds blew away in the wind. He sighed. It was so peaceful here. With the warm sun shining down and a cool breeze blowing, Clive almost felt as if he was free. Almost.

It reminded him of when his parents had been alive. Normally, Clive tried to forget memories of his parents. It was just too painful. But this memory was too happy to forget. They may have been poor back then, but they lived near one of the loveliest parks in the world. He remembered going there with his parents on sunny days. They'd bring a picnic basket and spend the day there. His mother would make sandwiches for the three of them, and they'd bring lemonade, too.

"It was all so long ago…" mumbled Clive. He closed his eyes, as the scene unfolded before him. He saw his parents' faces. Though the details were hard to make out, they were there, alive…if only for an instant.

Clive felt a gentle shake on his shoulder. He looked up to see Flora looking down at him.

"We're done talking. Emmy and Luke are already heading back to the car. You should go with them."

Clive rubbed his head, feeling tired. "H-how long was I asleep?"

Flora smiled. "An hour or two. After they finished asking questions, we went to the inn and had lunch, then came back here. You've been daydreaming this whole time."

"Have I? It certainly didn't feel that long." He stood up, stretching. "Well, I suppose I ought to catch up with them." He began to walk away, but Flora grabbed his arm before he could.

"Look…Clive…I'm really sorry about your life sentence. And about your parents."

"It's not your fault. It's…it's just the way it is."

"Well…good luck finding the professor. Hopefully he'll be able to get rid of that sentence for you."

Clive nodded, hurrying to catch up with Luke and Emmy. Once out of earshot of Flora, he smiled, a subtle hint of madness on his lips.

"Don't worry, Flora. I'll get rid of that life sentence…one way or another."

* * *

"So…what did you two learn?" Emmy, Luke, and Clive had just arrived back at Layton's house.

"Not a lot. Though…Flora _did_ mention the professor recently said something about 'a wealthy fellow' being a bit of a nuisance. The professor would never speak poorly of someone behind their back…unless it was for an important reason. I suspect he may have been giving a clue as to the kidnapper. But almost all of Layton's enemies are wealthy."

"Well, that includes you, Clive." Emmy glared.

Clive rolled his eyes. "Not any more. Do you know how much it costs to build an entire city functioning underground? It completely robbed me of my fortune. Otherwise I would have attempted to bail myself out of prison long ago."

"But, then…if the culprits are already wealthy…why would they want more money?"

"Perhaps they lost their money…or maybe they just want even more. Who knows?"

Luke sighed. "I don't know. We've been chasing lead after lead but come away with nothing but a handful of clues. I just…I don't know what to do now. I'm going to go make some tea." He walked over to the kitchen, a frustrated look on his face. He grabbed a pot and filled it with water, turning on the stove light. He opened the overhead cabinet, where Layton kept his teabags.

He frowned. "Seems there's only two types. Which do you prefer, Emmy, Earl Grey or Chamomile?"

"Earl Grey, please."

"What about you, Clive?"

Clive shook his head. "I'm going to bed. I need to…sleep on things."

"It's still rather early. And what things?"

"The…clues, of course."

Emmy raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Luke nodded. "Well…goodnight, then."

Clive smiled at Luke, then closed the bedroom door behind him.

* * *

Clive, in fact, had no intention of sleeping. He was waiting.

He sat there in silence for many hours. He didn't go back to visit more with Luke and Emmy. He didn't get bored. He was used to hours upon hours of empty silence. Of isolation. Two years behind bars had taught him to get used to it.

The door opened, and Luke walked in, yawning. Clive shut his eyes and turned away, facing the wall opposite of Luke, pretending to sleep. Luke curled up on the mattress, wrapping himself in a blanket. Soon, his eyes were closed. Soon, he was asleep.

Clive waited longer. Finally, he stood up. Cautiously, he crept around Luke. He opened the door slowly, and tiptoed out into the hall. He spotted Emmy sleeping on the couch, snoring faintly. He opened the front door and closed it behind him, walking out into the night.

His pace was brisk as he made his way to Greenshire Park. A night wind bit at him, but he ignored it. He walked faster.

Finally, he reached the middle of the park. A full moon shone down upon the grass, illuminating it in an eerie light. Clive peered around, looking for someone. He could faintly make out the silhouette of a large man standing in front of him.

"You're a wise man, Mr. Dove." A gruff voice addressed Clive. Clive didn't recognize it.

"No need for compliments. Just give me the money."

The man chuckled. "I'm glad you agreed to our offer. Here you are." He placed two large sacks of money in Clive's hands.

Clive inspected them. Hundreds upon hundreds of notes. It was clearly real. "How do I know it's enough?"

"You can count it, if you like, but you'll be here a while. A million pounds. Enough to get you out of your life sentence."

Clive grinned a wicked grin. "Thanks. And I'll be sure to keep up my end of the bargain."

"If need be…you're sure you wouldn't hesitate to kill them?"

"No. I wouldn't." Clive stared levelly at the man.

"You sure? You seemed to be getting rather close to the three of them. We can't have you getting second thoughts about this."

Clive smiled. "It was an act. I've manipulated people before; it was all too easy to do it again."

"We saw you send a letter the other day…who was that to?"

"Flora. I pretended it was from the kidnappers. I was telling her to ignore Luke, Emmy, and I or else we'd be killed. A threat letter, so to speak."

"I see…well, thank you for doing business with us, Mr. Dove."

Clive smiled again. "It was my pleasure."

He waited a moment, then snapped his fingers twice.

"Why did you do that?" The man sounded puzzled.

Clive laughed. "You'll see soon enough." As if on cue, a second figure sprang out from behind a bush, kicking and punching at the man. He howled in pain and fell to the ground. A third, smaller figure quickly tied a thick rope around the injured man. A flashlight lit up, illuminating the faces of Emmy and Luke.

"Great acting, Clive. You're a spot-on liar." Luke reached into the man's belt to pull out a gun. He tossed it to Emmy.

"We got your letter just in time. You certainly gave us very specific instructions."

The man struggled to speak. He was clearly fearful, but he was also puzzled. "W-why would you send them a letter instead of just telling them to ambush me?"

Clive shrugged. "I knew the house could be bugged. I didn't want you overhearing the plan."

"Now, enough chitchat." Emmy shined the flashlight right onto the man. "Are you the mastermind behind kidnapping Layton?"

The man shook his head. "I was…hired to kidnap him. I did it, but I'm not the mastermind behind it, honest!"

"Was the money even real?"

"N-no. It was counterfeit. Only an expert could tell it apart from real money. I thought if I pinned it on you…then it could add to the evidence against you if you ended up murdering Triton and Altava. Help keep me safe."

"Where is Layton?"

The man hesitated. Emmy pointed the gun at him. "I will shoot."

"He's…in a warehouse. Warehouse 17…down by the wharf. A warehouse that stores types of wine. Especially-"

"Apple wine. So the clue _was_ telling us the location of him. Who hired you?"

The man hesitated again. Emmy pointed the gun right at his head.

"Alright, alright. I'll tell you. If…you let me go."

Emmy turned to Luke and Clive. They nodded. "Fine. Now tell us."

"I…was hired by-"

The sound of a shot interrupted him. It pierced the air, and pierced through the man's skull. He fell to the ground, dead. In the distance, Emmy detected the sound of someone running away. Clive cursed under his breath.

"They've heard us. They know we know where the professor is, so they'll probably decide to move him. We need to stop them before they have the chance." Emmy turned to Luke and Clive, a determined look on her face. "We need to get to the wharf. Tonight."


	9. Entering the Warehouse

_Chapter 9: Entering the Warehouse_

Emmy, Luke, and Clive sped along the deserted streets of London. They were headed at top speed to the wharf.

Emmy slammed her foot down on the gas pedal, driving even faster. They skidded around corner after corner, street after street. Luke held his breath, for fear they would crash. Emmy was far from a graceful driver. But they couldn't slow down…not with the professor's life on the line.

"Do you think they're moved him yet?"

"No…whoever killed the hired kidnapper was running away on foot. Even if they had a car parked nearby, I doubt they're going faster than us. Then again," mused Emmy, "We did have to run back to the professor's flat to get the car…that could have given them time. Time to get back…or at least enough time to make a phone call…"

"Let's not think about that. Hopefully the professor hasn't been moved yet. We need to think about the best possible outcome. There's no use dwelling on pessimistic thoughts. That won't save him."

"But, I mean really…" Clive sighed. "What can the three of us do against an enemy we don't even know?"

Luke grinned. "What can a gifted apprentice, an expert at martial arts, and a criminal mastermind do against an unknown enemy? Why, we can defeat them, of course."

They pulled up onto the edge of the wharf. Quietly, they exited the car. Emmy gripped the gun in her hand, but then tossed it to Clive.

"I know martial arts and you don't. You need this more than I do."

Clive nodded. "Thank you, Emmeline."

Emmeline shook her head. "It's Emmy."

"So…we're friends now? You…trust me?"

Emmy looked down at the ground. "Your plan tonight was brilliant. And you could have easily just made away with the money. But instead…you decided to help us. You put your trust in us. So I ought to trust you, too."

Clive smiled. "Well, thank you…Emmy."

Emmy smiled back, then leaned in, whispering in Clive's ear. "Make sure Luke doesn't get hurt." Clive nodded.

"Alright…we go in, find the professor, and get out without getting caught. Seems like a simple enough plan."

"One more rule." Luke turned to Emmy and Clive. "Don't get shot."

Clive and Emmy nodded. The three of them turned towards the warehouse. It was dark and foreboding. There were no guards visible, but that made the three of them all the more wary.

The warehouse was on the other side of a long, thin boardwalk. The three of them crept along it, wincing at every little creak their feet made on the decaying wood. The silence pressed in on them, keeping them all on edge.

"This is too easy," whispered Luke as quietly as he could. "If the boardwalk is the only way to get to the warehouse, it should have some guards. We're easy targets."

Then Clive heard a click, as if a bullet had been slid into place. He tensed. "Luke, Emmy," he murmured as quietly as he could, "I want you to run. Now."

The three of them sprinted, the boards creaking loudly and whining under their fleeing feet. Luke heard a shot fired. He ran faster, moving left and right as he did so to make himself a harder target to catch. Then another shot. Both missed. He breathed a sigh of relief, but he knew they were far from safe.

They reached the warehouse, hiding behind a nearby bush.

"That was close." Luke looked down at his hands and realized they were shaking. Emmy's face had a look of gratitude on it.

"If we hadn't ran…Clive…you just saved our lives."

Clive shrugged, looking down at the ground. "It was nothing." He looked up. "You have more important things to do than thank me. Let's get into the warehouse."

The three of them crept up to the side of the building. Emmy stole a quick look inside. "It's a very large room. There are crates everywhere. I didn't see any guards, but I thought I heard voices. It sounded like there were quite a few of them. I say we stay close to one another; at least at first, and see if we can't disable the guards. Take away their weapons, stun them, tie them up; anything that will make sure that they won't pose a theat."

"What about killing?" Emmy and Luke turned to Clive with alarmed looks on their faces.

"We're not going to become murderers. Not even to save the professor." Emmy's voice was grave.

Clive shrugged. "It would make things easier…" he murmured, but he didn't mention it again. In truth, he didn't want to become a murderer. That meant more years in prison. Less chance of escape.

Clive clicked a bullet into place in the gun. He nodded to Emmy and Luke.

The three of them ran in quickly and quietly, ducking behind the nearest crate. A strong smell of apples and wine filled the room. Luke peered to the side to see two guards near the entrance to the warehouse. Both carried guns. Both were peering around, as if suspicious. Any second now, they could spot Luke, Emmy, and Clive.

Clive took careful aim, making sure the gun was pointed at the right angle. Then he fired two shots. Both hit their targets in the leg. They were certainly not fatal shots, but still quite painful. Both men cursed under their breath, wincing as they held their injured legs. Before they could recover, Emmy raced over, landing a quick series of punches and kicks on each man. They both crumpled to the ground, quickly fading into unconsciousness, but not before they yelled out to alert other guards. If the shots hadn't been enough, their yells quickly sent more men running towards them.

Emmy grabbed the two guns the men had on them, then tossed one to Luke, before running behind a nearby crate. Clive ran after her, and Luke ran in the opposite direction.

Within seconds, guards were combing the area for the three of them. Emmy gripped the gun tightly in her hands, her finger carefully placed on the trigger. She stood up quickly, trying to fire at a nearby guard, but her gun was jammed. She crouched down, trying to hide again, but she had been spotted.

Clive instinctively ran away, crouching behind the crate right next to the one Emmy was trying to hide behind. Seeing that Emmy's gun wasn't working, he tried to find his own, but it had disappeared. And now a guard was standing right in front of Emmy, grinning. Before she could get away, he kicked her in the stomach. Gasping, she struggled to try and run, but was too out of breath to even stand. He held out a gun, locking a bullet into place. Emmy spotted Clive, but all she did was whisper a word: "Run".

Clive shook his head. Just as the man prepared to fire, Clive lunged forward, jumping right in front of the line of fire, shielding Emmy. He felt a bullet rip through his shin. He winced, resisting the urge to cry out in pain.

The shooter stood there for a moment, stunned. Clive felt light-headed. He turned to Emmy.

"Emmy," he whispered. "Go find the professor."

Emmy stood frozen for a moment, unable to leave Clive to face the guard alone.

"Go!" he yelled. Emmy, still struggling slightly from being kicked in the stomach, managed to run off. Clive turned to face the shooter, a cold look in his eyes.

"You'd do well not to shoot me again. I'm worth more to you alive."

The guard raised an eyebrow.

"I'm a wanted convict. Clive Dove. You may have heard of me. I kidnapped the prime minister himself once. Then I escaped a life sentence in prison after only two years. I'm sure the police will give you a hefty reward for returning me to my cell."

The guard seemed to be considering it. Then he yelled for another guard. The other man helped hoist Clive up, and the two of them carried him away.

Clive smiled. "It seems they've come to their senses." But now that the immediate threat of death was gone, the pain in his leg was returning, stronger than before. He managed to tilt his head down, to see the wound. Blood covered his leg. He tried to move it, but it felt numb. He sighed, as his vision began to go black.

"Luke…Emmy…I'm counting on you two," he whispered. With that, the last of his strength left him, and he faded into unconsciousness.

* * *

When Clive awoke again, he still felt weak. Slowly, he managed to lift his hand. It was dyed a dark crimson. Peering down, he saw a small pool of blood surrounding his leg. He tried again to move it, but it stayed still. He groaned, as another wave of sharp pain engulfed him.

"Is there someone there?" A deep voice called out. Clive managed to prop himself up on his hands and turned to see that he was in a prison cell of sorts. On the outside, a guard stood, a gun in hand. Inside the cell, a few feet away from Clive, was a man. He wore a blindfold, and his clothes were dirty, but his slightly rumpled top hat was unmistakable.

It was his friend. His foe. The one who'd saved his life by stopping his incessant madness. The one who'd ruined it by forcing him into a life of imprisonment. Professor Hershel Layton.


	10. Reconciliation, and a Sacrifice

_Chapter 10: Reconciliation, and a Sacrifice _

"Hello?" The deep voice called out again. While the voice was mostly calm, it had a hint of desperation in it. A hint of loneliness. Clive refused to answer it. He wouldn't give Layton the comfort of another voice. No. Clive had endured far too much silence to be merciful.

And yet…the professor had saved him…perhaps he ought to be compassionate towards him in return.

"No," Clive was speaking in his head now. "No. I won't give him the satisfaction. I won't give him the opportunity to apologize. If I could endure two whole years of silence, he can endure a few days of it."

Clive's mind was divided. One side of him wanted to call out to the professor; to reassure him. The other side wanted to strangle him while he was helpless.

"Oh, god, no." Being behind bars again was rekindling that crazy spark he used to feel. The madness was returning.

"I know someone is there." Clive flinched at Layton's deduction. The professor continued. "I just want you to know…don't be afraid. We'll find a way out of this, I'm sure of it."

Clive sighed loudly at Layton's words. Whether it was from contempt or admiration he couldn't tell. "The professor is so willing to trust others and reassure them, even when his own life is in danger," said one side. "No," said the other, "he's just a gullible fool." Clive grasped at his head with his hands, trying to shut the voices out. He didn't want to go mad again. But the relentless torrent of conversation inside his head continued, louder and louder, drowning everything out.

"You can't hurt the man who saved your life…"

"He didn't save it, he RUINED it, you idiot!"

"Forgive him."

"Strangle him."

"At least SPEAK to him!"

"He doesn't deserve that!"

"STOP!" He shrieked. For a second, the voices ceased.

"Clive…is that you?"

Clive stiffened. The professor's deductive skills certainly were incredible. He hesitated, unsure if he should speak.

"Hello…Layton." Clive could hear his voice cracking. He only hoped the professor couldn't detect the weakness in his voice.

"I thought you were in prison. How in the world did you…end up here?"

Clive struggled to speak. His leg was hurting again, and it still couldn't be moved. "It's a long, long story. I…escaped."

"Quiet in there!" The nearby guard was clearly annoyed at their talking. He banged on the cell bars, and they rattled in place. "Either of you says one more word and I'll gag you."

Clive tried to stay quiet, but there was a burning question on his mind. "W-who kidnapped you? Do you know who's behind it?"

"I SAID QUIET IN THERE!" The guard yelled. He grabbed Clive's shirt and yanked him towards the edge of the cell, slamming him against the bars. Clive fell to the ground again, feeling weaker than before.

"I'm going to go get some gags," the guard muttered. Making sure the cell was locked, he hurried out of the room.

Clive was tempted to try and escape, but he knew it was pointless. The cell was locked. He couldn't even stand. But he knew now was his opportunity to find out the truth from Layton.

"Who kidnapped you?"

"I…I don't know."

Clive sighed. It was too good a lead to hope for. He groaned again at the pain in his leg. His head hurt, and he felt weak.

"Clive…when did you get out of prison?"

Clive hesitated again. He thought about not answering. But every added second of silence made the voices in his head grow louder. Talking was the only way to stay sane.

"Only recently." He shuddered.

"Was it…a life sentence?"

"Yes." Clive couldn't hide the coldness in his voice. "You sent me to a life in prison."

"Clive, if I had known it was such a long sentence…I would have-"

"Don't lie to me! You knew full well I would never escape. You didn't care. You wanted me locked up forever!"

"Clive, you know I-"

"Do you know how _painful _it is? To live in silence for _two years_? Where the only voices you hear are the ones in your head?" Clive felt tears in his eyes. He choked on a sob. "I tried to endure it. Oh, how I tried. I told myself I deserved it. I deserved it after what I put those scientists through. But still." A tear fell. "I didn't want to go mad again! I didn't want to go back to that vengeful place." He looked at the professor. It was good that Layton had a blindfold on, so he couldn't see the tearful look of contempt on Clive's face.

"I grew to hate you for what you put me through. I didn't want to see you ever again. And…thanks to what you did to me…I'd never get the chance." He sighed. "And then…Luke showed up. Made me an offer. He could get me out of prison, and even get rid of my status as a convict…if I helped him find you. At first, I refused. But it was the only way out. The only way to escape." He sighed again. "And I tried really hard to help. I discovered clues as to the kidnappers' identity. I turned down an offer of a million pounds, and didn't betray Luke and Emmy. I saved their lives, and risked my own. And what do I get for it all? I get locked back in a cell, with a bullet in my leg, on the brink of madness again. Trapped."

Layton's eyes were blindfolded, and he was clearly weak from days in a cell. But that didn't stop him. He managed to inch along until he found Clive's shaking figure. He placed his arms around Clive, hugging him.

This startled Clive. "No," he whispered to himself. "I won't let my guard down. I don't want his compassion. I don't want his sympathy. I don't want…"

In spite of himself, Clive began to sob. Layton hugged him closer.

"It's alright. We'll find a way out of here. You'll find a way out of prison. I'll help. But we need to keep our wits about us if we intend to escape."

"He must think I'm so weak," Clive thought to himself. "A sniveling madman who can't survive even two years in prison. And he's right. I'm not a clever criminal…just a decrepit fool." He wanted to hit himself. "Stop crying. The longer you act like a weakling, the more he'll think you've forgiven him. You can't give him that luxury."

The tears stopped. Clive dried his eyes, managing to pull away from Layton's grasp. He turned to face the wall.

"You don't need to forgive me. I understand what I've put you through."

"You don't understand. You don't understand what it's like to lose everything."

"You think I don't?" Clive flinched. Layton's voice was always polite and understanding…but all of a sudden he could detect a chill in it.

"I lost my parents to Targent. I lost my brother when I was adopted. I lost my best friend, Randall, for eighteen years. I lost my assistant, Emmy, and my apprentice, Luke, when they left. I lost Claire. Twice. Don't accuse me of not knowing what it's like."

There was a moment of silence.

"The guard who left still hasn't returned."

"He must have found out about Luke and Emmy. He may be helping the other guards to find them. The three of us managed to infiltrate the area. But…I got caught." Clive winced at the pain in his leg.

"I greatly appreciate the effort you would go to to restore my safety. Even if you only did it to escape prison." Layton sighed. "I'm merely sorry things didn't go according to plan. You've already endured two years in a cell. You don't deserve to be locked up again at your first chance of freedom."

Clive shrugged. "I really am worthless. I deserve it. But…as much as I hate to admit it…you don't deserve this. You saved me from a fate worse than prison…madness. You saved me from becoming a murderer. You deserve a way out of this."

All of a sudden, Clive noticed something he hadn't before; the feeling of something cold under his shirt. The feeling of something metal. A look of disbelief showed on his face. Earlier, he hadn't been able to find his gun. Now here it was, tucked away under his shirt. He must have unknowingly hidden it there.

Just then, the guard returned. He had a look of urgency on his face.

"The place has been infiltrated. You're to be moved."

"No." Clive began to reach into his shirt, pulling out the gun.

But Clive's movements were slow. The blow to his leg had weakened him. The guard, realizing what Clive was doing, reached for a gun and fired a shot.

It pierced Clive's arm. Clive felt the fresh wave of pain engulf him, but he had to keep steady. He couldn't falter now.

He pointed the gun directly at the guard, right at his head. A bullet was already clicked into place, ready to fire.

"You wouldn't." The guard turned pale, his gun pointed directly at Clive. "Not with a gun pointed at your own head."

Clive laughed. He knew he was crazy, but the only alternative would be fear. And then he wouldn't be able to get the professor out.

"If you shoot, I shoot. And I guarantee you, I won't miss. Unlock the door. Now."

The guard nodded. Keeping his gun pointed at Clive, he unlocked the cell.

"Now get that blindfold off of him." Clive gestured to Layton.

The guard removed the blindfold. Layton blinked, bewildered.

"Give him your gun."

The guard hesitated, but the look on Clive's face was dead serious. He handed the gun to Layton.

"Now you're free. Find Luke and Emmy. Get out."

Layton couldn't help but hesitate. "But…what about you?"

"I can't even stand on my own. You can't possibly carry me out; not with guards everywhere. If you can manage to defeat them all, then come back for me. But we all know the likelihood of that." Clive laughed. "If you can't…get out."

Layton still hesitated. "I can't just leave you here!"

"As long as they believe you're still being held captive, Luke and Emmy will keep looking for you. They could get shot. They could _die_. Get them out!"

"We'll defeat whoever is behind this. We'll get you out!"

Clive nodded. With the new bullet wound, it was becoming hard to stay conscious.

"The best of luck…Professor."

Layton nodded, and raced off.

"Get out." Clive spoke to the guard. As if relieved, he raced out of the room. Clive was alone.

Clive knew he was going unconscious again. He struggled to stay awake, but he couldn't. The pain was too great.

Clive never prayed. He didn't believe in such things. But for once, he prayed. But not for himself.

"Please," he murmured, to no one in particular. "Let Layton, Luke, and Emmy escape. Don't let them get hurt." With that, his vision went black again, and he lost consciousness. His fate, his future, whether he would live or not...it all rested in their hands.


	11. The Brink of Death

_Chapter 11: The Brink of Death_

Layton hurried down the corridor. Days of wearing a blindfold had left him disoriented, dazed, and confused. But he couldn't stop running. He couldn't leave Clive to die. Not after what he had done for him.

Layton held the gun in his hand. He hated resorting to violence, but he knew it would likely be necessary to escape. He felt the cold metal of the trigger beneath his finger. He only hoped he wouldn't have to fire.

Layton heard shots in the distance. He ran towards the sound. At the edge of the corridor, he stopped, slowing down. He peered around the corner.

"My word," he murmured. Guards ran everywhere, searching every corner for Luke and Emmy. Some of them were limping, as though they had been shot. Emmy and Luke were nowhere in sight. "They must be hiding," mused Layton. But with all these people after them, how much longer could they stay hidden?

* * *

Inside a crate, crouching under a layer of wine bottles, Emmy and Luke barely dared to breathe. It felt like ages since the guards had started firing at them. They could hear their moving feet, hear their shouts of annoyance at not being able to find them yet. They knew any minute now, they would be found. And once they were found, they would be shot.

Luke felt his hands shaking. He gritted his teeth, trying to get the shaking to stop. He didn't want to be afraid. "A gentleman must be brave," he told himself. "That's what the professor would do if he was here." He shook his head. "But the professor isn't here. He's still locked up. If he can't manage to escape…how in the world can we?"

Emmy, meanwhile, was also thinking. Of Layton and Luke…and of Clive. She clutched her stomach, remembering the painful kick the guard had inflicted on her. She remembered the shot - the shot that should have gone through her - but instead went through Clive. She felt tears welling up in her eyes. For all she knew, he was on the brink of death. No, at this point he could already be dead. And for what? Giving her a few more minutes to live? The guards were bound to find them and shoot them dead any minute now. Clive's sacrifice would be in vain.

"In the end," she mused to herself, "Clive was more loyal than I ever could have been. He saved Luke's life. He saved my life. And he tried so hard to save Layton's life. What have I done to help them that could ever equal that? I, who threatened to kill Luke. I, who deserted them because I was too much of a coward to face what I had done. I've never taken a bullet for anyone; Clive has. Unlike me, he's more than proved his loyalty. And now…he's going to die because of it."

Luke saw tears filling Emmy's eyes. Oh, how he wanted to console her. But what could he say? What could he say to reassure her?

"I forgave you, you know."

Emmy's tear-filled eyes met Luke's. "What?"

"For…how you threatened to kill me. I never really got to tell you…but I understood. You were doing it for your uncle. I could tell you didn't want to do it, and I knew you wouldn't really hurt me. No hard feelings…alright?"

Emmy smiled weakly. "You really are a worthy apprentice, Luke."

Luke smiled back at her. "And you're a worthy assistant."

Emmy grabbed Luke's hand in hers. Luke squeezed it reassuringly.

Suddenly, shots were fired. Groans ensued from many of the guards. Luke felt a glimmer of hope. Could Layton have escaped? But then, one more shot was fired. Luke heard a body crumple to the ground. Whether the victim had been injured or killed, he couldn't tell. With so many guards all on the same side, and only two enemies, one of which likely couldn't move due to a shot in the leg, there was only one possible victim. His mentor, his teacher, practically his father…likely dead. He wanted to cry. But he couldn't. He needed to stay strong. For Emmy's sake. He wouldn't die with tears on his face.

They heard footsteps, coming right up to the front of the crate. Luke turned to Emmy again. He closed his eyes. He only hoped the bullet wouldn't be painful.

Emmy thought about closing her eyes, but she couldn't. She didn't want to be a coward. She wanted to look into the face of the one who murdered her. She stared intently ahead, as the crate lid slowly opened.

His top hat stood proudly atop his head, and he had a look of determination on his face. It was Layton.

"Come out of there," Layton urged them. "More guards will be on the way any minute now. We must hurry."

* * *

Clive awoke again. This time, he couldn't move at all. He felt chains at his hands, and chains at his feet. Even without the chains, he couldn't have escaped. His leg was numb, and his arm was numb, too. He felt as if there was blood all around him. Almost as if he was drowning in it.

He saw a guard leaning down over him, a cruel smile on his face.

"After you told me to leave the room, I left for a while. But then I figured to myself…with two bullets in you, you can't possibly manage to keep a steady hold on that gun. I came back in. Turns out my hunch was right." He held up Clive's gun in his hand. He placed it in Clive's own hand. But it was the arm that had been shot; the arm that was numb. Clive couldn't even move it. He cursed.

The guard laughed, snatching the gun back. "Not so strong without a gun in your hand, eh? Clive Dove. Once a criminal mastermind. Reduced to being imprisoned, taken down by one lowly guard. I must say…I'm disappointed."

Clive struggled to stay awake, feeling the urge to go unconscious welling up inside him again. The guard continued.

"I thought about whether I should just kill you. One bullet to the brain; that's all it takes. But given the amount of blood you're losing, you'll be dead soon enough. This way…it'll take a bit longer. More painful. More entertaining."

Clive felt bile rising in his throat. What joy could this man find in watching others suffer? But with a shudder, Clive realized it wasn't so hard to believe. After all, he had once been that way himself. He had once harbored such evil thoughts as that. For all he knew, there was a part of him that still did.

He shuddered, feeling the pain in his leg, feeling the pain in his arm, feeling the pain in his head.

The guard sat down next to Clive, grinning. "Take your time, Mr. Dove."

Clive's breathing was rough. He struggled to function. He felt tears in his eyes. He was too weak not to give into the madness. He began talking to himself inside his head.

"How could I have ever subjected someone to this?"

"Because you enjoyed it. I'm sure you would again if you had the chance."

"Liar."

"It's true, Clive, and you know it."

Clive struggled against the voices, against the threat of death. He was almost scared to close his eyes, for fear they would never open again. A part of him wanted it to be over; at least then he would die a noble death. And really, if he did die…who would truly lament the loss?

"No one would," he whispered to himself.

But another part of him, a more selfish part, wanted to keep fighting. If he waited long enough…perhaps he would be saved.

"Besides…they would feel guilty if I died. I can't do that to them." He would try to stay alive, then. At least…for as long as he could.

* * *

Layton, Emmy, and Luke ran, as fast as they could. An army of guards ran after them, threatening to catch up to them at any minute.

They ran behind a corner, temporarily evading the guards. Luke panted.

"How did you manage to escape, Professor?"

Layton looked down. His voice sounded pained. "Clive was thrown in the same cell as I was. He pulled out a gun, threatening to kill the guard if he didn't free me. He didn't hesitate. He didn't falter…not even when he was shot in the shoulder."

"What happened to him?" Emmy's face was pale.

"He had already been shot in the leg. He couldn't even stand. He…stayed behind. I don't know if he's alive or not."

"What…did he want us to do?"

"He…wanted us to leave without him." Layton turned to Luke and Emmy. "And now we have a choice. We can try and find a way out, and follow Clive's wishes…or we can try and find who's behind all this, and potentially save Clive."

Luke and Emmy didn't hesitate. "We need to find out who's behind this, and defeat them." Luke grinned. "After all…a true gentleman would never leave a friend in need."

Layton nodded. For a moment, all seemed right. They would find Clive, they would find the culprit, and they would escape. A plan was already beginning to form in Layton's mind…

And then the sound of guards running towards them shot them back to reality.

"Emmy," Layton whispered. He was speaking quickly now. "Your ability with martial arts is impeccable. You must have a good deal of agility. Do you think you could manage to climb into the rafters?" He gestured upwards. Wooden beams crisscrossed back and forth above them.

Emmy shrugged. "I suppose I could try. Could you lend a hand, Professor?"

"Certainly." Emmy managed to clamber up onto Layton's shoulders. Balancing precariously atop Layton, she jumped up, managing to grab ahold of one of the beams. She climbed nimbly to the top of it.

"Don't fall," whispered Luke. He handed her a gun. Emmy nodded, grabbing the gun and crouching low, so as not to be seen by any guards.

"If anything happens to Luke and I…find a way out immediately. Follow us as quietly as you can, and don't get caught."

Emmy smiled. "Leave it to me, Professor!" Then they waited a few moments in silence.

Within a minute, Luke and Layton had been located. They made no effort to run. A circle of guards surrounded them, their weapons locked on the professor and his apprentice.

"Where's the woman?" A man barked at them. Layton and Luke exchanged glances.

"She is hiding, somewhere where you will never find her. Somewhere only we know."

The guards cursed, loading their weapons.

"Shooting us will do no good," said Layton. "We won't tell you where she is. We will only tell you of her whereabouts if you allow us to speak to the ones behind all of this."

One guard laughed. "You think you'll be allowed to do that? We can find her without your help. It's time for you to get back in your cell." He yelled for two of the other guards. They managed to handcuff Layton without much difficulty.

"What about the boy?" The guard spoke dubiously.

"He's of no worth to us. Shoot him."

"That would be unwise." The guards turned back to Layton.

"Emmy is hidden close at hand. She has a weapon. If you harm either of us, she will know, and she will shoot you."

The guards laughed at the preposterous idea, but still, they seemed nervous. For a few moments, they seemed uncertain as to how they should respond.

Then Luke heard a crackling, as though someone was making a call through a radio. Luke instinctively looked towards the nearby intercom speaker. That seemed to be where the noise was coming from.

Then a surreptitious female voice, smooth as silk, came to their ears. The voice sounded somewhat annoyed. "Layton is useless to us now. Anyone else who goes after him is sure to call the authorities. But at this point, Triton, Altava, Dove, Reinhold, and Layton himself are the only others who know of his disappearance. No one else knows, and thus no one will be paying us ransom any time soon. It's a shame, really." The voice sighed. "And the boy…well, no one would pay a cent for a runt like him. We might be able to get some money off of Dove, but he'll be dead before we can get him back to prison." Emmy felt her heart leap in her throat. _So he's still alive, _she thought to herself. The voice continued.

"At this point, I think we ought to kill the whole lot of them." She paused, is if for dramatic effect. "But…not just yet. After all, if we don't tell them who was behind it, they'll never appreciate the brilliance of our plan." She laughed. "Besides, I want to meet these geniuses in person. Make sure their hands and feet are bound tightly. Blindfold them, too. Then, I want you to bring them to me and my brother. Layton and Triton…I'll let them know just who the clever ones behind it all were." She laughed. "Then…try and see if you can get them to tell you where the girl is hidden. And once that's all been settled…then you may shoot them."

Luke shuddered. He turned to Layton. "She's out of her mind. She must be daft, letting us go and see her."

"As long as it keeps us alive, we must try and find a way to defeat her and her brother. We must count on Emmy. The woman we heard…she craves recognition…but her pride may be her downfall."

Quickly, Layton and Luke were tied up and blindfolded. The guards began to move, and so did Luke and Emmy. They were moving towards their captors…and towards their end.

Above in the rafters, Emmy clambered after them as fast as she could. Soon, all three of them would meet the kidnappers. Soon, the masterminds would be revealed. And, if they did not act quickly, all three of them would soon be dead.


	12. The Kidnappers' Reveal

**Alright, before I start this chapter, I'd just like to say thank you to all the people who left reviews! It warms my heart to see that you enjoy my story. Every review, even if it's just one sentence long, brightens my day. Also, thank you to those of you who took the poll. As the title of the chapter suggests, you will find out who the kidnapper is in this chapter, so I took down the poll. I know this chapter is kind of short...but I hope you enjoy! :D And now, back to the story... **

* * *

_Chapter 12: The Kidnappers' Reveal _

To say Luke was nervous about meeting the kidnappers was an understatement. In a few minutes, he would be meeting people who were willing to murder him and his friends, people who could do so with a simple command. _And once their identities have been revealed, they'll force us to tell them where Emmy is, _Luke thought to himself with a shudder. _And after that…they said they'll kill us. _He let the words sink in, the dreadful meaning behind them coming to him. He might be dead within the hour.

In short, he was terrified.

Layton, however, remained calm. He was concerned for Luke's and Emmy's safety, but he couldn't let that show – showing weakness towards the kidnappers was sure to only make matters worse. _A true gentleman must keep a level head at all times, _he told himself. Yes. That was what he must do. He must count on Emmy to save them.

Above in the rafters, Emmy scrambled after them, hurrying to keep up. _Their lives are in my hands…_she thought to herself. She couldn't let them down. Because if she did…then they'd all be dead.

* * *

Clive had heard the message blare over the intercom only minutes before. He knew Layton and Luke had been captured. The thought that Emmy was still free gave him little comfort, for he knew she would never leave without Luke and the professor. Which meant...she would likely be caught soon as well.

"They didn't manage to escape…" he cursed. So he had been shot twice, and was likely going to die…for nothing?

"At least they're still alive…" he murmured. "For now."

But he could not be concerned with thoughts of the kidnappers, or even with thoughts of Layton, Luke, and Emmy. He had to focus all his will on not passing out. For otherwise…he might not return.

"Take your time, Mr. Dove." The cruel voice of the guard came to his ears again. Clive smiled.

"I intend to."

* * *

"Here we are." One of the guards chuckled. Luke heard a door creak open, but all he could see was the blindfold over his eyes. He was lead inside a room. One of the guards pushed him down, so he was on his knees.

The guards checked once more to see that Luke and Layton were properly tied up, and then they took a step back. Above them, Emmy waited with bated breath for their captors to appear.

"Time for the grand reveal, is it?" From the shadows, a woman laughed. Then, slowly, she emerged.

She was no enemy that Emmy could recognize, and yet there was something familiar about her, as if she had appeared before in the paper. Her straight, sandy brown hair fell down to her shoulders. She looked middle-aged, with stern eyes and posture that suggested someone from a high class position. She smirked at the two helpless captives near her feet.

"How do those blindfolds feel?" She laughed maliciously. "How does it feel to be my captives?" She crouched down, at eye level with Layton, who was on his knees. She leaned in, whispering in his ear. "Not so clever now, are you, Professor?"

"Who are you?" Layton demanded.

"Who am _I_?" The woman laughed. "Oh, you wouldn't know me. But I'm sure you'll remember my brother! Come on out."

Layton and Luke heard a low chuckle, followed by a familiar voice. "Hello, Layton."

The voice was contemptuous and cruel. The kind of voice that belonged to those who thought themselves above all others. The kind of voice that belonged to people who would do anything for power.

Two guards stepped forward, removing Luke's and Layton's blindfolds. Luke looked up at their captor, realization, anger, and fear on his face. Layton tried to hide his emotions, but it was clear there was a hint of hatred in his eyes.

It was the man who had driven Clive to insanity. The man who caused Claire's death.

Bill Hawks.


	13. A Win and a Loss

_Chapter 13: A Win and a Loss_

Bill stared down at Luke and Layton, at their helpless figures, and laughed.

"Surprised, are you?"

Layton shook his head. "It occurred to me that you could have been the kidnapper. I even suspected it for a while. But…why? Why would you do it?"

"He saved your life!" Luke added angrily. "Clive would have killed you if we didn't get there in time! And after what he did for you…you'd kidnap him?"

Bill slammed his fist down on the nearby table in anger. "After what he did for me? Do you know what he did for me?! After that whole…_incident_ with Dove…he had found out about my part in the time machine. He told the press about certain..._steps_ I took in order to secure my position. He forced me to step down as prime minister! I wouldn't have it. But…after all the lies he had told the press…I had no choice. He took away my job, my wealth, my good reputation. And now…he must be punished for it."

"Lies? Was it a lie that you went through with the time machine project, knowing full well it was incomplete? Knowing full well it could kill people? Do you feel even a _shred_ of remorse for the lives you took?" Layton's look at Bill was one of pure contempt.

"Remorse? For those fools? Hardly. They did their part; they helped me secure my position."

"Is that all they are? Steps in your plan to become prime minister? Are you really so heartless?" Luke felt tears coming to his eyes, in remembrance of those who died in the explosion all those years ago. Those who had died merely to help fulfill the dream of a corrupt politician.

"Steps are necessary to reach as high a position as prime minister. I toiled for years and years to reach that high. And then…Layton…you brought my plans tumbling down."

"You don't deserve it, Bill." Layton looked levelly into the greedy eyes of his captor. "The blood of those who died that day is on your hands! A murderer doesn't deserve to be prime minister."

Bill scowled. "It's not my fault. Dimitri and Claire were careless. If they had only worked faster, then no one would have-"

"Don't talk about Claire like that." Layton's voice was cold. "She was a far better a scientist than you ever were."

Bill laughed. "Oh, yes, I forgot about your..._relationship_ with Foley." He leaned in closer to Layton, a cruel smirk on his face. "How did it feel, to have to let her go twice?"

Layton's fists were clenched. Above them, Emmy felt tears in her eyes. It was true, Layton had lost Claire twice. And now Bill was cruel enough to remind him of it.

"You monster!" Luke yelled.

Bill sighed, standing up. "So you say." His sister looked back-and-forth between her brother's cruel smile and Layton's pained expression.

"Now, why don't we tell them how we did it?"

"Indeed." Bill nodded. He smiled at Layton and Luke. "You've found my motive: revenge. You had to be punished for taking away my position as prime minister. And after I had been forced to step down, I was short on money. Not every job pays as well as prime minister, you know. I needed a way to get more. I knew you were a well-known scholar; I figured someone would be willing to pay ransom for you. So I used the last bit of money I had saved up to hire a group of trained kidnappers to kidnap you and make sure you didn't escape. I wrote a ransom note, demanding two million pounds. Of course, I lied about someone else wanting to purchase Layton. And I got the help of my sister to make sure things went according to plan. She was all too eager to be in on the scheme."

"And then," the woman continued. "You had been caught. The ransom note was right there, and everything had fallen into place. But…it was too boring. It was too easy. I'm terribly obsessed with puzzles, you see. I thought I'd leave a little clue for your friends to follow. So I did. I scribbled it onto a separate note when my brother wasn't looking. I knew he wouldn't approve of me giving out hints…but without hints, what fun is the game?"

"Yes," Bill sighed. "That was a careless and foolish move on your part. Because of it, we had to dispose of one of our hired men. That was clever of Dove, pretending to go along with the plan and then double-crossing us. Of course, he made a foolish choice to side with you. And he will die for it, if he hasn't already."

"You two came to the warehouse, along with Dove. But you were wrong to think you could handle all the guards. At that point, I realized it was foolish to hope the ransom idea would work. I doubt anyone could manage to find two million pounds in such a short time." He smiled. "Perhaps, in the end, I really didn't do it for the money. Only for the sweet satisfaction of revenge."

On Bill's command, one of the guards grabbed Luke and pulled him forward, so his terrified face was looking directly into Layton's eyes. One of the guards handed Bill a gun. Bill smiled, pointing it at Luke's head.

"Will you tell me where Altava is?"

"No!" yelled Layton. "I would never betray her!"

"Well, either you betray her, or your little apprentice is dead." Luke was shaking.

"Don't do it, Professor! We can't do that to Emmy!"

Bill laughed. "How loyal. So you'd rather die than disclose her location?"

Luke's stare was determined. His voice was clear of any hint of doubt. He didn't hesitate.

"Yes."

Bill shrugged. "So be it. We'll find her eventually." He turned to smirk at Layton, leaning in closer to the professor.

"You took the one thing I cared about away from me. Now I'll do the same to you." He clicked the bullet into place…

Emmy couldn't wait any longer. She jumped down from the rafters, gracefully landing on her feet. In her hand was a loaded gun, and it was pointed directly at Bill's sister.

"If you don't put your gun down I will shoot her."

Bill seemed alarmed at Emmy's entrance. The guards around him pointed their guns at Altava, but dared not shoot.

"How did you manage to get in here?"

"I climbed through the rafters, following the professor and Luke. If you value your sister's life, put the guns down. You and all your guards!"

Bill shook his head.

"Go ahead and shoot her, then. She's of no worth to me anymore."

The woman's face turned pale. "But…brother…I thought…"

"What? You thought I loved you? Are you really so foolish? I assumed you understood already. You were merely a tool to help me, sister." He turned to the guards. "Go ahead and shoot Altava."

Quickly, Emmy jumped back up into the rafters, hiding behind one of the boards of wood. The guards shot up at her, but the few bullets that did manage to hit the board of wood she was hiding behind didn't manage to make it to her. The shots kept coming, and Emmy thought she heard one go right past her. She shuddered. _That was too close_, she thought to herself. _How long can I manage to stay hidden up here? _

"Stop your firing!" Bill yelled. The shots stopped.

"Altava, I'll put it to you simply. If you come down and turn yourself in, I'll let Triton live…at least, for a little longer. If you stay up there, I will shoot the boy immediately. What will your choice be?"

Emmy moved quietly through the rafters, balancing on board after board. She had to move quickly. Very quickly. Within seconds, she had managed to position herself so that she was right behind Bill.

Bill sighed in annoyance. "Turn yourself in, or I will shoot him. Which one will it be?"

"Neither," Emmy murmured. She jumped down, but before the guards could manage to shoot her, she had her gun pointed at Bill's neck.

"I know you don't care about your sister…but surely you care for your own safety, you bastard."

Emmy never swore. Never. To think that she would do so now meant she must be seething with rage.

Bill was clearly frightened now. He turned to the guards.

"Put your weapons down. Now." The guards obeyed.

"Untie them." The guards hesitated, unsure as to what to do.

"You heard her. Untie them. Now!" The guards hastened to follow Bill's orders.

"Tie him up." Emmy gestured to Bill. One of the guards came forward, rope in hand, and tied Bill up.

"Is there a key to this room that can lock from the outside?" The guards were still hesitant.

"Do as you're told." The guards nodded at Bill and one of them looked through a desk for a key. Finding one, the guard tossed it to Emmy. Slowly, the gun still pointed at Bill's neck, Emmy backed out of the room, Luke and Layton following behind her. Once they were outside, Emmy quickly shut the door, locking it. She handed the keys to Luke, who stuffed them in his trouser pocket.

"Wow, Emmy. You…saved us back there." Luke rubbed his head awkwardly, as if not quite sure how to show us appreciation.

"Truly, Emmy, we owe our lives to you."

Emmy blushed. "Well…it was the least I could do. After you were willing to…to _die _just to protect me."

"Well, that's what a gentleman does." Luke nodded.

Layton chuckled. "Luke, my boy, you have learned well."

Bill didn't say a word. However, he was smiling, as if there was something he still had to gain. Emmy looked at the smirk that he was trying in vain to hide, and raised an eyebrow, puzzled.

Suddenly, Emmy's eyes widened. "Of course. Luke, Layton, we've got to find Clive!" She turned to Bill. "Tell us what room he's in or I'll shoot."

Bill chuckled. "Room 15B. But it's too late now. A guard told me he's been shot twice already. On the brink of death, last I heard. By now…he's sure to be dead."

"No." Luke's face was grave. "No…he can't be…"

"We have to find him. There's still a chance that he's-"

Bill chuckled again. "You can't manage to run after him with a captive to look after."

"One of us will have to stay to guard him." Emmy turned to Luke and Layton.

Layton spoke first. "I'll do it. You two are in better condition than me; you'll run faster. I'll stay and guard him."

"With no hostage to keep the guards from shooting you, you're sure to die. Are you really such fools as that? To risk your lives for the sake of a double-crossing loon who's betrayed you before, who might already be dead?"

"We'll take that chance." With that, Emmy and Luke sped off, leaving Layton alone with Bill.

"Emmy, Luke," Layton muttered to himself. "Please make it in time."


	14. A Race to Save a Life

_Chapter 14: A Race to Save a Life_

Luke and Emmy tore off down the hall towards room 15B. It was a maze of corridors, and they had no way of knowing where the guards were. All they knew was that they had to get there in time – or else Clive would be dead.

"I think it's this way," panted Luke, gesturing towards one corridor and turning to Emmy.

She sighed in frustration. "No, it's this way," she gestured towards a different route.

"Well…now what? We have to choose one or the other; splitting up would be a bad idea."

"But…if we pick the wrong path…we'll lose time. Too much time. And every second counts."

They were conflicted. For a few seconds, they stood still, unsure as to what to do. Suddenly, they heard a message over the intercom.

"You may have locked me in, you little fools, but I still have access to the intercom…along with camera monitors. And I can see you're getting nowhere. I've already sent guards to dispose of you." Bill's sister laughed.

Luke knew they should start running, but he couldn't help but ask a question first.

"But…why…why would you keep fighting us? You heard what your brother, Bill, said…he doesn't even care about you. He'd be willing to have you killed…and yet, you're still helping him?"

There was a pause, then the woman spoke again. Her voice was somewhat softer now. "I know Bill doesn't care for me…but I'm still his sister. I still love him. And I'm not going to let you take him away!" Her voice was louder now, more malicious. "So scurry around in this maze all you want. I will find you." With that, the message ended.

Luke thought he could hear the sound of guards running. He turned to Emmy.

"Let's just go this way."

"I hope we're making the right choice," muttered Emmy. With that, they sped off.

* * *

Bill Hawks and Layton had both remained silent at first. Layton was too busy worrying about the safety of Luke, Emmy, and Clive to speak. And Bill…well, there was no telling what was going through his mind.

Then they heard the message over the intercom. Bill's face had a repulsed look on it.

"Love. Such an idiotic notion. Janet has always been too affectionate for her own good."

Layton thought about asking Bill if he'd ever been in love, but decided against it. He suspected he already knew the answer.

"Though…I suppose I have love to thank for one thing."

Layton stiffened. This was not the Bill Hawks he knew.

Bill continued. "Without love, the time machine incident wouldn't have been so devastating to you." He smirked.

Layton clenched his fists. Even though Bill had been captured, he was clearly still vengeful. Bill laughed.

"I'll find a way out of this. Mark my words, Layton. And if I can't…well, I'll at least make sure of one thing. By the time I make it to prison, Dove will be long dead."

* * *

Luke and Emmy were close. So close. And yet…the guards were close to their goal, too. Emmy and Luke ran, behind corner after corner, just barely keeping out of reach of the troops storming after them. They heard shots all around them.

Emmy shivered. They couldn't get caught. Not now.

But with all the shots being fired, it was only a matter of time before one of them was hit. Luke felt a bullet fly through his arm. He winced. How Clive had managed to handle two shots, he couldn't understand. It was taking all his will not to stop running.

"Luke!" Emmy's face was concerned. "Are you alright?"

Luke winced again. "I…I'm fine."

They were panting now, going as fast as they could. Soon, they had reached a row of doors. They passed 14A…14B…14C…14D…15A…

"There it is!" Emmy panted, racing into the room. Luke raced in after her, still holding his injured arm.

Luke closed the door behind him and pushed his weight against it, trying to stop any guards from getting in. Emmy saw a guard raise a gun, but she quickly managed to kick the gun out of his hand.

Clive was sprawled out on the ground. His clothes were covered in blood, and his breathing was pained and rough. His hands and feet were chained. His eyes were closed.

"Clive?" He wasn't moving. "Clive!"

Clive stirred, just barely. He managed a weak smile. "Emmy."

Luke felt the guards pounding against the door. He could barely stop them from breaking in.

"Emmy, we've got to hurry!"

Emmy nodded. She turned to the guard.

"There's no time for games. Give me the keys. Now."

He didn't need to be asked twice. With shaking hands, the guard gave her the keys. She leaned down, undoing the locks on Clive's hands and feet. Crouching down, she managed to hoist Clive up, carrying him in her arms.

He weakly shook his head in protest. "No…don't…"

"We're getting you out of here, Clive." Emmy turned to Luke.

"I won't be able to hold a gun while carrying Clive. If any guards get too close…you know what to do."

"But…I don't think I'll be able to shoot. I don't think-"

"You can do it, Luke." The door was threatening to burst open any minute now.

"Let's break the door down. It should surprise them. It might give us a chance to escape." Luke nodded.

"Ready…go!" Both of them ran into the door. It burst out of its hinges. On the other side, guards had fallen to the ground, having been pushed back by the door.

Luke and Emmy ran. This time, Luke had a shot arm and Emmy was carrying Clive. But this time, they knew the way back. They raced to reach the professor in time.

Clive was muttering gibberish. His face was pained. Looking down at him, Emmy's face was also pained.

"Hold on, Clive. Don't die on us."

Clive struggled to speak coherently. "I'll…try…"

Finally, they had managed to make it back to Layton, who was waiting anxiously.

"We've made it back to the hostage! We'll shoot him if you attack us!" Luke yelled out, alerting the guards to stand down.

Emmy turned again to Clive. "Oh, god, this is awful…"

Clive managed to open his eyes. Upon seeing Bill, his eyes narrowed in hatred.

Bill sighed in frustration. "So he managed to survive this long. What a pity." He smirked. "No matter. He'll be dead soon."

"He's not going to die. We're going to take him to a hospital!" Emmy choked on a sob.

"You'll never make it."

"We will if we hurry!" Luke turned to Emmy and Layton. "Come on, let's go!"

Bill laughed. "Oh, my, you really aren't very clever, are you?"

"We can't leave Bill here; then he'll just come after us again. We can't leave a menace like him to roam free. We'll have to take him with us."

"But…we can't manage to take Bill _and_ Clive!"

Emmy felt tears in her eyes. "But…then…what can we do?"

Clive weakly managed to turn to Emmy, Luke, and Layton. His eyes were barely open, and they looked bloodshot. But there was also a hint of something else in them…was it…a pleading look?

"I…have to. F-forgive…me."

Catching all of them by surprise, Clive, with a sudden burst of strength, quickly reached for Emmy's gun. He fired one shot. One shot was all it took. With a howl of pain, Bill fell to the ground, dead.

Clive laughed, then his eyes closed again. His body went almost limp. Grabbing the gun had taken a huge strain on him.

For a moment, all three of them were stunned. They all knew Clive didn't want to go back to prison. He didn't want to commit any more crimes. And yet…he had been willing to shoot Bill Hawks. He was willing to commit murder, a crime punishable by a life sentence. _He must have really loathed him to be willing to take the risk of going back to prison just to kill him_, thought Luke to himself. But they couldn't dwell on what had happened. They had to get out.

"We have no hostage to protect us any more. We have to go." Emmy and Luke ran off, out of the warehouse.

Layton paused a moment to look down at Bill's body. Despite his hatred for him, Layton couldn't help but also feel sorry that he had died. His life had been filled with greed and corruption. He hadn't lived to experience love. Not that he had wanted to, but still…a life without love would be too harsh of one for Layton to live in, so he couldn't help but pity Bill at the thought.

He knew Bill would be repulsed at the idea of Layton wishing him well after his death, so he said no final passing words. He merely nodded, and ran off.

They managed to make it out of the warehouse without getting caught. Whoever had been guarding the boardwalk earlier had fled, and the four of them easily managed to cross it.

It was early morning now. The night had passed. A golden sun was beginning to rise on the horizon.

They got into the car and sped off towards the nearest hospital. Inside the car, it was complete silence, except for Clive's gasping breaths. With each pained breath, Emmy felt closer to tears. It was her fault Clive had been shot. If he didn't survive…she couldn't forgive herself.

They pulled up outside the hospital within minutes, jumping out quickly. Upon seeing Clive's nearly lifeless body, a group of medics rushed over.

"Get him a stretcher!" one of them yelled.

"He needs oxygen!" yelled another.

Soon, he was wheeled away. Emmy followed.

"I'll go with the doctors; you two alert the police. Tell them what happened! Make sure Bill's sister is arrested! Then come back!" Emmy yelled to Luke and Layton. They nodded.

"Come, Luke, we must alert Scotland Yard." Layton and Luke jumped in the car.

"But…what about Clive?"

"Emmy will look after him."

"But…what if he doesn't make it?"

For a moment, Layton froze. Then he started the car. "All we can do is hope."


	15. Clive's Fate

_Chapter 15: Clive's Fate _

All was quiet at Scotland Yard. There were no criminals to apprehend, no issues to sort out. It was early in the morning, and the place was mostly empty. A few tired-looking policemen held hot cups of coffee in their hands as they talked amongst each other.

Then the quiet was broken by a door being slammed open. A weary professor in a top hat and a fourteen-year old with a bleeding arm had just entered. The policemen stared at them in shock and puzzlement.

A short, somewhat portly man with a brown mustache walked over to them. He smiled upon seeing Layton.

"Why, hello there, Layton! What brings you to Scotland Yar-" then his eyes widened as he saw Luke's bleeding arm.

"Goodness, my boy! You've been shot! What happened, Layton?"

Layton's voice was urgent. "Barton, we're in a hurry. Can we speak to Inspector Chelmey?"

Barton frowned. "He's in his office…but I'm afraid he dozed off a while ago. He'll get in a terribly bad mood if I wake him up."

"Barton. It's important."

Barton hesitated, then nodded. "Very well."

Luke and Layton followed Barton over to a closed door. On the front of the door was a label: _Inspector Chelmey_. Barton opened the door slowly. Luke and Layton began to follow, but Barton stopped them.

"It's best that only I wake him," he whispered. "Otherwise he may get mad at you two as well."

They nodded. Barton closed the door behind him.

Luke and Layton heard a hushed voice, followed by a groan. Then, shouts, and the terrified yells of Barton. After a few minutes, the doors opened. A cross-looking Chelmey and a rather frazzled looking Barton walked out.

"Hello, Layton, hello, Triton," grumbled Chelmey. "Why are you here at this hour in the morni-" He stopped, and, just as Barton had, he looked in horror at Luke's bleeding arm.

"Layton? What the devil happened?"

The professor sighed. "It's rather a long story."

"Come into my office." Chelmey beckoned the two of them in, closing the door behind him. Layton and Luke sat down across from Barton and Chelmey.

"Barton, make our guests some tea," ordered Chelmey. Barton nodded, hopping up to look for a kettle.

"Now, then, you two. Start from the beginning, and tell us everything that happened."

* * *

Emmy had been waiting in the hospital for an hour now. She was exhausted from their adventures at the warehouse. But she couldn't sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, all she could see was Clive lunging in front of the gun…

"But…what's the point of him living? Even if he survives…he killed Bill Hawks. The professor would never lie. He'll tell the police the whole story. And even if Bill was a criminal…they'll throw Clive back in jail for killing him. Back to the life sentence he worked so hard to get out of." Tears blurred her vision. "Either he dies now, or he'll live the rest of his life in a cell. He'll go mad…" She choked, feeling a sob in her throat. She wasn't normally this weak. She was strong. She didn't cry.

But this time was different. If only she had kept her distance from Clive, she wouldn't be feeling this upset right now. But…she had let her guard down, and let him become her friend. If she had distanced herself from him, he wouldn't have felt the need to take that bullet. Then he wouldn't have gotten captured. He wouldn't have acted so rashly by killing Bill. He wouldn't be on the brink of death. _If only…_Emmy thought to herself.

"Miss?" A soft voice brought Emmy back to reality. She turned to see a young nurse looking at her anxiously.

Emmy stood up. "Yes?"

"The young man you came in with…he's…"

Emmy's heart fell with a thud, anticipating the word she was about to say.

"He's alive. He's currently in critical condition, but he's alive. He's sleeping right now. Would you like to come in?"

Emmy nodded.

They walked down the hall and into a room. Two doctors looked up from their papers to glance at her. Emmy looked around anxiously. She spotted a hospital bed. Clive was lying down on it. His eyes were closed. He was wearing an oxygen mask, and his leg had been injected with a mass of liquid-filled tubes. His arm was in a cast, and had been propped up by a few pillows. His breathing was still rough and pained, but his expression was calm.

Emmy knew she should be happy that he was alright, but her expression was anything but cheerful.

_He can probably stay in the hospital until he gets better…but, once he's recovered…he'll be back in chains. _She sighed. Despite the fact that she knew he would inevitably end up back in prison, she really was happy he was alive.

"It's alright now; I think he'll be alright. His condition is stable now. There's no need to stay here, Miss. You're welcome to return home. Give us your name and address and we will alert you with any developments."

"No. I…I'd rather stay here." Emmy spotted a chair near the bed and sat down.

The doctor seemed hesitant to let her stay, but then he nodded. "Very well. Dr. Collins and I have other matters to take care of. If you notice any changes to his complexion, or have any questions, please alert nurse Evelyn. She'll be happy to help you."

He began to walk out, but then stopped. "By the way…what did you say his name was again?"

"Clive. Clive Dove."

The doctor frowned. "Hmm. That sounds familiar somehow. In any case, I'll give you a little while to rest, and then we'll discuss his medical bills and current condition."

Emmy nodded. The doctor walked out of the room, followed by his colleague. They closed the door softly behind them. The nurse was typing something into a nearby computer. Emmy sat in the chair, looking at Clive.

His breathing was still rough, but it was beginning to get smoother now. His expression remained calm. Emmy smiled.

"Get well soon, Clive," She whispered. She really did want him to, but at the same time, she wanted him to stay in the hospital for as long as he could. For after that…he would return to prison.


	16. The End of an Adventure

_Chapter 16: The End of an Adventure_

Clive was dreaming. But these were not happy dreams. They were nightmares.

He was with Luke and Layton. The three of them were walking through London, laughing and talking together. People walking on the streets treated him with respect, occasionally waving or wishing him good morning. He smiled. He was no longer a criminal.

Then the street transformed into a prison. He felt himself being pushed into a cell, and heard the door lock behind him. He saw Layton and Emmy laughing. Then they were gone, and the world outside the cell disappeared, leaving Clive alone with nothing but the sound of malicious laughter. He closed his eyes, unable to bear it.

Then he heard a shot fired, and a scream. He looked down. There was a gun in his hands. Across from him in the cell was Luke, who had a gaping wound in his chest. He looked at Clive in fear, before he crumpled to the ground. Clive ran forward, trying to save Luke, but it was too late - he was dead.

Flora stood inside the prison cell, tears falling from her eyes.

"You murderer…" she whispered softly.

"No! I didn't kill Luke, I didn't-"

"Don't lie to me, Clive." Flora choked on a sob. "You monster." She turned to leave.

"No! I didn't do it! Stop! I'm not-" It was too late. She was gone.

"You killed him. Now I'll do the same to you." Emmy pointed a gun at Clive, firing a shot-

* * *

Clive sprang up, knocking over the pot of flowers that had been placed on the desk at his bedside. He saw the pot crash to the floor and shatter. A pool of water flowed out onto the floorboards. A handful of marigolds had scattered on the ground. _Where am I? Who are these flowers from? _He wondered.

Then, he felt a pair of arms embrace him in a hug.

"Clive! You're awake!" Emmy smiled with relief. Behind her, he could see Layton and Luke, both of them also looking relieved. He smiled, too. It was good to see them. It felt like he had been asleep for ages.

"Where…am I?" he asked.

"You're at Glenwood Hospital." Professor Layton smiled warmly at Clive.

"Thank goodness you're alright," sighed Luke. Clive noticed one of Luke's arms was in a sling.

"Luke…what happened to you?"

"Oh…this?" Luke looked down at his arm. "I…got shot once, back at the warehouse. It's...no big deal. It should be healed soon."

"Who are the flowers from?"

"Flora." Luke grinned. "She sent some flowers by yesterday. She thought they might somehow help you get well. She was terribly worried when she heard what happened to you."

"How long was I asleep?"

"A week or so."

Clive nodded. He tried to stand, but winced. He was still too weak.

"After I got caught…what happened at the warehouse?"

Luke explained the whole story, from Layton finding him and Emmy to telling the police what had happened. When he was done, Clive sighed.

"I assume you told them the whole story, Layton." Layton nodded. Clive sighed. "And…that includes the murder of Bill?" Layton nodded again.

Clive lay back down on the pillows, letting the words sink in. "Someone had to kill him. If anyone else had been the kidnapper…anyone at all…I wouldn't have hurt them. But Bill…" He laughed softly. "Words can't quite describe how I feel about him. He took everything I had away from me." He turned to Layton.

"Murder is punishable by a life sentence, right?" Layton nodded.

"A whole life in a cell…a life of loneliness, and madness…it's worth it to put a bullet through his despicable brain." Clive sighed. "Back to my life sentence. So be it."

"Listen, Clive. I told them that Bill was killed…but I did bend the truth a little bit."

Clive raised an eyebrow in puzzlement.

Layton continued. "I told them I was the one who killed him."

Clive's eyes widened. "But…Professor…now they'll think you're a…murderer."

Layton shrugged. "As much as I hate having that title, you saved my life, and Emmy's and Luke's lives as well. After all you've done for us…we can't just send you back to prison for it."

"But…you'll have to go to prison…"

Layton shook his head. "I have worked with Scotland Yard long enough that they pardoned me for killing him. No one but the police force knows that he was murdered. The newspapers say that he was hit by a stray ricocheted bullet. And they've portrayed you as the hero."

Luke handed Clive a paper. On the front page was a picture of Clive's mug shot, alongside a picture of Layton, smiling and sipping tea with Luke.

"_Convict Turned Hero: Clive Dove Saves Professor Layton!" _read the headline. Clive put the paper down in shock.

"I-"

"Read it!" beamed Emmy. Clive nodded, reading slowly.

"Clive Dove was once one of London's most diabolical criminals. Using his vast fortune, he managed to create an entire underground city in supposed 'future London', capturing scientists and the prime minister himself in his quest for revenge against Bill Hawks. The explosion that killed his parents drove him to madness, and he nearly killed thousands of people. Who would have known that today London would be praising him as their hero!

"Recently, esteemed Professor Hershel Layton, one of London's most influential figures, was kidnapped from his London flat. Only a ransom letter and a small clue were left behind. The letter threatened that police involvement would result in Layton's death.

"With the help of the Professor's former apprentice, Luke Triton, and his former assistant, Emmeline Altava, Clive Dove managed to escape prison. The three of them began a hurried investigation to find out who was behind the kidnappings.

"While all three of them were essential to bringing Layton back, Clive was the hero of it all. Even when the kidnappers offered him a million pounds in exchange for killing Luke and Emmeline, he stayed loyal to his friends. He pretended to accept the offer, but secretly informed Luke and Emmeline of the deal, and together, the three of them managed to capture one of the men who had been hired to kidnap Layton.

"They managed to find out where Layton was being held: in a warehouse by the wharf. But before they could glean any more information out of their captive, he was shot by a mysterious shooter who immediately ran off. Together, the three of them raced to the warehouse to find Layton.

"What followed was a daring battle between Layton's friends and the kidnappers. Clive, ever selfless, was shot twice in order to save both Luke's and Emmeline's lives. Thanks to Clive, Layton managed to escape his captors, and find Luke and Emmeline. But soon, Layton and Luke were captured by the guards, and they found that the kidnapper was none other than the former prime minister, Clive's nemesis, Bill Hawks! He and his sister, Janet Hawks, had attempted to get revenge on Layton for telling the press about Bill's part in the time machine incident two years ago.

"Unbeknownst to the kidnappers, Emmeline had managed to follow Layton and Luke to the kidnappers' location, and together, the three of them managed to take Bill Hawks as a hostage. Then, they raced off to find Clive, who had been captured after being shot. Clive, weak from blood loss, was on the brink of death.

"The four of them managed to escape, but, in the process of fighting, Bill Hawks was hit by a ricochet bullet and died. His sister, Janet Hawks, is in police custody. Her sentence is still being determined. The group hired to kidnap Layton has been found and its members apprehended. Clive Dove, still suffering from his injuries, is currently recovering in the hospital.

"So, fellow Londoners, let us raise our glasses in a toast to Emmeline Altava and Luke Triton, for without their help, we would be without our beloved professor. And let us toast to Clive Dove, a young man who has proven that everyone has the ability to amend their past mistakes and redeem themselves. Truly, he has proved his worth as a new hero of London!"

Clive stopped reading. His expression was beyond shock; he looked almost as if he was ready to faint.

"I…I don't deserve this."

"If saving peoples' lives doesn't deserve praise, I don't know what in the world does." Emmy laughed.

"But…I'm different from a hero. Heroes save others because they care about human lives; I only did it because I cared for my own freedom. My motives were selfish. _I_ was selfish."

"Clive…I'm sorry, but no amount of persuading on your part will convince me that you were only acting to save yourself. If you cared only for your freedom, you wouldn't have rejected the kidnappers' offer. You wouldn't have taken that bullet to save Emmy. You wouldn't have told Layton to leave without you, to let you die. Heroes sacrifice for others, and that's precisely what you did. All three of us owe our lives to you." Luke's face was sincere.

Clive shrugged. "I still don't think-"

He was interrupted by a timid knock on the hospital door.

"Come in."

In stepped a smiling, yet tearful Flora. She looked at Clive, then blushed, looking down at the floor.

"I'm…glad you're alright."

Clive smiled, oblivious to Flora's blushing. "It's good to see you, too, Flora. Thank you for the flowers."

Flora blushed harder. "Oh…you're welcome! I'm glad you liked the marigolds." She stepped over to Clive's bedside.

"I read the paper. I'm proud of you, Clive."

"Oh? How so?"

"Well…I'm proud of how you managed to turn everything around. You were really brave. And…it really showed that…even villains have a heart to them." She leaned in, planting a kiss on Clive's cheek.

Clive raised an eyebrow in puzzlement. Luke and Emmy looked between Clive's puzzled face and Flora's blushing one and laughed. Layton chuckled softly.

"Well, I don't prefer the title of villain." Flora looked down at the ground as if embarrassed by her remark. Clive put a hand on her shoulder.

"But thank you for the compliment. It means a lot, coming from you." He smiled. She was blushing too much to look directly in his eyes, but as she looked down, he could see her smile back.

"Now, then," Layton walked around the room, handing cups to Luke, Emmy, and Flora. They stared back at him in puzzlement.

"What are these for?" asked Flora curiously.

"Why, tea, of course!" Layton laughed softly, pouring a hot, steaming liquid into each of the cups from a small teapot.

"How did you manage to get that in here?"

"Oh, a gentleman has his methods." Layton smiled, puzzling Luke even more.

"But…do they allow that in a hospital?"

Layton shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure. But we need a cup of tea; after all, this is a special occasion."

Clive raised an eyebrow again. The rest of them raised their glasses high.

"A toast, to our adventure-"

"Wait, Professor!" Luke called out. "It was quite a mystery; I think it deserves a proper name."

"Well, Luke, what would you suggest?"

Luke thought for a moment, then snapped his fingers. "The missing gentleman! That's it! The mystery of the missing gentleman!"

Emmy nodded. "That seems like a fitting title."

"Very well." Layton cleared his throat. "A toast. To the mystery of the missing gentleman, and to Clive, one of the most loyal friends who ever lived."

"Really, I'm flattered." Clive grinned. They smiled back at him.

The glasses clinked.

* * *

**Aaaand...that's almost it. There's an epilogue after this, so be sure to read it! Unless you don't like annoying cliffhangers; then you might want to skip it, heheh. :)  
**

**And don't question how Layton can get hot tea at any time. There was a tea mini game in the Diabolical Box, so that means it must be possible for him to brew tea wherever he is. So don't question my logic. XD**

**Now, for the thanking. I know I said this already, but thank you so much to all of you who left reviews, favorited my story, or followed. Your kind words, helpful tidbits of info, and praise were wonderful to receive. Thanks to you guys, writing this story was one of the most fun things I've done in a long, long time. :D And anyone new who reviews the story after it's been finished: I'll still read any new reviews, and I appreciate you as well. Thanks so much, guys!**


	17. An Epilogue

_Chapter 17: An Epilogue_

Layton was working in his study when he heard a knock on the door. Getting up from his papers, he turned the knob, finding himself greeted by a laughing Emmy, a grinning Luke, and a smiling Clive. Clive leaned on crutches, one of his legs in a cast. Still, he manged to hobble in after Luke and Emmy.

"He's finally out of the hospital!"

"Who would have known there would be reporters at the door," mumbled Luke annoyedly. "It took us forever to get out!"

Clive sighed. "Be grateful you don't have to wear crutches for two more weeks." Luke laughed.

"I'm glad to see you're recovering, Clive. Now, then, why are you three here?"

"Well, once the doctors informed Emmy about Clive's release, we thought we ought to drive him over here to see you. But…" Luke and Emmy exchanged a quick glance. "There's also something else Emmy and I came to talk about."

Layton nodded. "Go on."

"Well…" they paused, as if unsure where to start. Luke nudged Emmy.

"Well…" Emmy began slowly, "We just went on such an incredible adventure together. We made a great team. Luke…and I as well…miss going on investigations. Luke really misses being your apprentice. And…I really miss being your assistant." Emmy sighed. "I would have continued as an assistant to you…but after I betrayed you…I felt I didn't deserve it. I didn't deserve to come back. But, now…after I helped free you…I hope I've managed to redeem myself. And…I was thinking…would you be willing to take me back as your assistant, and Luke back as your apprentice?"

Layton's eyes widened in shock. Clive seemed shocked, too.

"After our adventure was published in the paper, my parents found out about it. At first, they wanted me to come back to America. But…I managed to convince them to let me stay." He looked sad. "When I went away to America…it was exciting. It was new. It was an adventure. But…not a day went by that I didn't miss being your apprentice." Luke turned to Layton, a hopeful look on his face. "So…please…will you let me stay?"

There was a pause. Then, Layton gently pulled Luke and Emmy into a hug.

"These last two years have been far too lonely. I've missed you two." He smiled at Luke and Emmy. "You're welcome to stay."

Emmy and Luke beamed back at him. "Oh, thank you, Professor!"

Emmy grinned. "It's the best job anyone could hope for! Do you mind if I move back in, Professor?"

Layton chuckled. "Why, of course not. But…surely you discussed your plans with Flora. Does she want to come back?"

Luke shook his head. "I asked her about it, but she said she wanted to be more independent. And she loves working as a maid. Besides, she's close by, so it'll be easy enough to visit her."

Layton nodded.

"Now, then," Emmy continued. "We're not just coming back to fool around, Professor. We want to continue solving cases. Do you know if Scotland Yard is interested in having you help them with an investigation any time soon?"

"As a matter of fact…" Layton reached into his drawer and pulled out a case file. He tossed it to Emmy. "After all the publicity I received from our recent adventure, Scotland Yard is interested in having me help them with one of their cases."

"A murder…a missing diamond…looks like quite a puzzling case," reasoned Luke.

"It's no match for this trio! Professor Hershel Layton, his assistant, Emmy Altava, and his..._second_ assistant, Luke Triton."

Luke huffed in frustration. "Not his second assistant. We've been over this before, Emmy. I'm his apprentice. His apprentice number _one_."

Clive laughed. "In any case, I wish the three of you the best of luck."

Emmy raised an eyebrow. "But…what about you, Clive?"

Clive shrugged. "As much as I'd like to help with your investigation…I've already been offered a job proposition."

Emmy's face lit up. "Oh, Clive that's wonderful! When is the interview?"

"Tonight, actually. And, if I get the job, I'll have a place to stay as well."

"You're sure you'll manage to get there with your crutches?"

Clive laughed. "Oh, I'll manage. Now, then, if I could just spend the night here tonight…"

"Of course."

* * *

It was dark outside. The last rays of dusk had just faded over the horizon, and Clive hastened to the door.

A car was waiting for him. He hobbled in, shutting the door behind him.

"Where are we going?" he asked the driver.

"You'll see soon enough, Mr. Dove," a voice murmured back at him.

The drive continued in silence for over an hour. Finally, the car pulled to a stop in front of a rocky driveway.

Clive got out, limping over to the front door of the house. He rang the doorbell.

"Come in," a voice called out. Clive stepped inside.

Whoever owned the house was definitely rich. Luxurious tapestries, rare-looking stones and fossils, and all sorts of artifacts were placed on shelves, preserved behind walls of glass. Clive stepped forward to a wooden door. He opened it to find a small study.

"Please, have a seat." A voice called out from the dark. Clive sat down.

"I hear you're interested in hiring me…as an assistant?" Clive asked.

The voice chuckled. "Indeed. And…based on what I've read about you in the paper…you're just the young man for the job."

Clive frowned. "I've heard rumors about you. You were once a criminal. You're not going to be doing anything illegal, are you? I…don't want to become a criminal again."

"Illegal? Hardly. My days of villainy are long behind me. That's not to say my work isn't…dangerous at times."

"I can handle myself."

"So…do you accept my offer?" Out of the shadows, a slender arm reached out, as if to shake Clive's hand.

Clive nodded. He reached out his own arm, shaking the man's hand.

"Deal."

The man chuckled again. "A pleasure doing business with you, Clive Dove."

Clive smiled. "Likewise…Jean Descole."

* * *

**B35x: I don't know whether there will be a sequel or not. If I feel inspired to write one, I will, but right now I'm thinking about writing a oneshot. It also depends on whether you guys want a sequel or not. Let me know!  
**

**To all of those of you reading: got any suggestions for a oneshot I could write? Let me know, and if I end up using any of your ideas I will credit you for the idea in the story. **

**Thanks so much for reading! Thanks to you guys, this was so fun to write :) And that's the end.  
**


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